New Orleans Love Story
by Aria Daughter of Chaos
Summary: Four girls, four guys and one little secret that might blow it all apart. What is real and what is only a lie? (Elejah, Kennett, Klaroline, Stebekah) By: Lab7417 and Aria Daughter of Chaos
1. Chapter 1

**New Orleans Love Story**

By: Aria Daughter of Chaos and Lab7417

 _Elena we haven't always seen eye to eye but Stefan trusts you and we - I need your help - maybe all of your help..._

Elena thought back to the cryptic phone call that had started it all two months ago. At first she had been skeptical but once she'd talked to Stefan Elena had explained the situation to Bonne and Caroline - cut ties with everyone else in Mystic Falls and come to New Orleans. She hadn't expected Bonnie and Caroline to come with her but they had shown up days later. Stefan and Rebekah had both been excessively grateful.

She looked out over the balcony into the courtyard of their townhouse. It was in Bonnie's name so they could control who could and could not enter. They were keeping a very low profile hoping that no one would notice that they were in the city. Caroline stepped out on the balcony to join her.

"How's she doing this morning?" Elena asked.

"She hasn't been sick at all. I think we're finally past that," Bonnie said.

"My shift at the coffee house starts at ten," Caroline said where she was putting the finishing touches on her Royal Coffee House uniform - which was a black or khaki skort and any colored polo shirt so long as it had the RCH logo embroidered on it.

"You're going to run into one of them," Bonnie worried.

"I couldn't just stay cooped up here all day," Caroline replied as she fiddled with her ponytail.

"I'm going to make a run to Central Grocery. We're out of those lavender shortbread cookies that she's fallen in love with," Bonnie said.

"When's Stefan due back?" Elena asked.

"He's keeping Damon off our trail..." Bonnie sighed.

"Okay well that's me out," Caroline said and she walked down the outdoor spiral staircase and slipped out the rod iron gateway from the courtyard instead of going out the front door.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"There you are," Rebekah smiled when she found Elena tending to the courtyard garden.

"Morning Bekah. How are you feeling?"

"Really good actually and it kind of scares me. I mean if I'm feeling this good does it mean something has gone wrong?"

"You're at the point where you should start feeling a little better," Elena said. "We could get Bonnie to lift the spell again but it really tires her when she has to do that. I'm sure it's fine..." Rebekah reached over and grabbed Elena's arm giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you. You don't know what this means to me."

"I know what it would mean to me if I were lucky enough..."

"All it takes is an original..."

"Yeah they're all your brothers and if they even thought we were in this city...if they found out what's been done..." Elena shook her head.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Meanwhile Bonnie had gotten everything on their list for Central Grocery and had decided to give into her weakness for beignets. She carefully surveyed the open air Café Du Monde before she entered - no Mikaelsons in sight. She ordered three beignets, light powdered sugar and a large coffee. Then she wrangled the far corner table and took a load off. She smiled when the beignets arrived with the coffee. She took a big bite and even though it was light powdered sugar it still managed to flutter into the air and all over her.

"Hello, little witch"

Bonnie froze with her pastry suspended in mid-air. She would know that voice anywhere. She had to think quickly. She turned around and smiled.

"Kol? I had heard reports that you might be in New Orleans but I never thought I'd run into you." She motioned for him to have a seat which he did and he picked up a beignet. He laughed as he took a bite and the sugar fluttered all over them.

"This is messy," he mused.

"But kind of fun," Bonnie smiled and he smiled back.

"What brings you to New Orleans?" he asked. A Mystic Falls Bennett witch in New Orleans could spell trouble.

"I was actually visiting a professor that Grams was real good friends with and then I decided to stay on a couple of days..." Bonnie said as calmly as she could manage while she spelled a perfectly normal heart rhythm. She knew Kol had been listening because when she passed the vampire lie detector he smiled.

"Well I'm glad I ran into you then. Would you like to maybe have lunch? How much longer are you here?"

"Lunch sounds great," Bonnie said nervously. "I'm actually leaving tomorrow I think..."

"You don't have a flight?"

"I drove. Look let me drop this stuff back at my room and I'll meet you in Jackson Square for lunch. How about thirty minutes?"

"I could just walk with you..." Kol offered politely. Bonnie smiled gently.

"I mean no offense Kol but you're an original and I'd really rather you didn't know where I'm staying..."

In the end Kol had agreed but Bonnie had raced up and down several streets to make sure she hadn't been followed and then she'd ducked in the back way through the service alley for their townhouse.

"It took you long enough," Elena teased.

"Well that's because I have a lunch date," Bonnie gave a sarcastic grin, "with Kol Mikaelson."

"Kol! Kol knows you're here!" Elena suddenly went into a panic.

"Yeah I told him I was here visiting a professor friend of Grams. I'm meeting him for lunch so I'll probably be gone most of the day," Bonnie said.

"Don't let your guard slip for a second with Kol," Rebekah said. "I'm booking you a hotel room right now. You can get the key on the way to lunch. Kol is as crafty as Elijah but probably twice as dangerous Bon..."

"Tell me something I don't know..." Bonnie sighed.

"He's had a crush on you forever. You might be able to use that to your advantage," Rebekah said. "Okay here's the reservation info. Good luck. Remember to text the emergency code if things go south." Bonnie nodded. She hugged Elena and Rebekah and then left to pick up her room key. Once that was accomplished she walked back to Jackson Square.

 **((A/N: Well here's the opening of the new one. We hope that you will enjoy this adventure with the originals as much as we enjoyed writing it. Please let us know what you think.))**


	2. Chapter 2

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The church was beautiful but Elena didn't come here to admire it. She stopped regularly to light the candles in honor of Alaric, Jenna, her parents, John and Isobel. Today she was just staring as she remembered each time that she had with them and tears welled up, threatening to fall as she fought to keep the grief in check. One by one the deaths had been a blow to her each time but here – as she lit so many candles – they felt like an ocean pushing against a wooden dam.

She didn't even realize she was trembling as she tried to hold the emotions in check. A simple caress of fingers against her arm – such a tender gesture and so familiar was her breaking point and the tears slipped down her cheeks. Once she was sure that her tears were all dried up, a handkerchief was placed in her hand and a very familiar male voice spoke.

"Lovely Elena," she didn't dare look up at Elijah's face as she knew it was him. "Are you alright?" When she didn't answer, he tilted her chin to look at her and the dried tear streaks nearly covered her cheeks. "Is there any trouble in Mystic Falls? Are you in danger?"

"I'm fine, Elijah." She told him truthfully. "There isn't…there isn't any trouble in Mystic Falls that I know of." Her smile was watery but still, she was being truthful. "I couldn't stay there-there's been too much loss in that town and I needed a fresh start." Part of it was the truth and the other part was her cover but it sounded so true to her that she made it seem that way. "No, I'm not in any danger."

He smiled and she could see how relaxed he was. "That is good though why you chose New Orleans, does make me wonder."

"I've never been here and I decided to wing it." That was a lie but she wasn't going to betray anyone's trust with her words. Elijah must have known and allowed her to continue though he was quite curious as to why she would lie to him about her reasons.

"How long are you here for?"

"A couple of days at the most." Lie.

"Would you care to join me at the Royal Coffee House?"

"I would love to but I just need to stop by my hotel room to get a few things." Her eyes were lighter, much more playful and it seemed that he was able to pull that out of her, even after her cry-fest. "Would you be kind enough to meet me here?"

"Of course, Lovely Elena, of course."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Elena managed to make it back to the house in record speed and hurried into her room when Rebekah asked, "What is going on?"

"I met Elijah and he wants to have coffee at RHC. Call Caroline and see if she can skip today. We already have two of your brothers who know we're here-we don't need Klaus or the rest of them to discover this!" She could feel her panic rising and she slid onto the floor. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she could feel another cry-fest happening. "I didn't mean for him to find me! Honestly, I didn't!"

Rebekah sat beside her and rubbed her arms comfortingly. "I know you didn't." The blonde gave her a smile. "Though if my brothers do know that you three are here…I wonder how long it would take for them to find out what you three are hiding."

"I'll not betray you and Stefan, Bekah."

"I believe you."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"I wasn't sure you'd show," Kol said as he approached her. He had on black jeans that fit like every man wished they would and an ice blue shirt. Bonnie blushed as she took him in. He was probably mocking her behind his shades.

"Where would you like to go for lunch?" he asked.

"I don't know any suggestions?" she shrugged with a smile - so far he had been courtesy itself and nothing like he was in Mystic Falls.

"Do you like seafood?" he asked. She smiled.

"I love seafood."

"I know just the place then," Kol smiled and they walked along until they arrived at Brennans. Bonnie quickly decided on the seafood bisque and Kol ordered the shrimp etoufee. As they waited for their meal Kol studied her for a moment until she blushed.

"What?"

"You're staring at me!"

"You're beautiful."

"It's rude to stare," Bonnie giggled.

"I'm glad I ran into you," Kol smiled. "So what have you seen since you've been down here?"

"Well I've walked all through the French Quarters - been down Bourbon and the like. Plus I've been to the cathedral and Central Grocery. I walked along the moonwalk and I've been to probably a dozen voodoo shops."

"I knew you wouldn't pass on the voodoo shops," Kol smirked and Bonnie found herself grinning back. She was having a good time with Kol Mikaelson?

"So how is Mystic Falls?"

"You know the same - though it's a little quieter now that your family is gone," Bonnie said. "How is your family? Are they here?" Kol looked at her warily for a minute.

"They're all here. Rebekah's planning to leave though. Elijah's been trying to talk her out of it but I'm pretty sure she's determined. She'll be lucky if Klaus doesn't put a dagger in her back."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Elena tried twelve times to reach Caroline's phone but it just kept going to voicemail. With a sigh she realized she had already arrived at the coffee house. Truth be told it was one of her favorite places to go. The coffee was fantastic and she loved their blueberry muffins but today she was afraid they were going to taste like dirt. She walked in and greeted the worker behind the counter. She came so often they all knew what she wanted and a minute later she had a muffin and a vanilla cappuccino. She stepped out into the courtyard and sighed as she saw Caroline standing there speaking to Elijah Mikaelson. He smiled as he saw her approach and pulled out a chair for her.

"Elena you didn't tell me Caroline was also in New Orleans," Elijah said and Caroline looked at her pointedly over Elijah's shoulder. It was a look that clearly said 'we are so screwed' and Elena could agree with the sentiment. How were they going to pull this off?

"You didn't ask," Elena shrugged.

"You know once I heard how wild it was down here I had to come and see for myself," Caroline smiled brightly.

"So you got a job at a coffee house for the weekend?" Elijah asked calmly. He was like a dog with a bone when he got onto something. Nothing seemed to escape his notice.

"Oh no I live down here," Caroline smiled. Elena immediately started praying that Elijah didn't want an address. Instead he leaned back in his chair slightly. His manner became relaxed as he took a long sip of his coffee.

"This is exceptionally good coffee," he smiled.

"I love it too," Elena smiled.

"I'd better get back before I get fired. Elena I'll meet you at our spot tonight?" Caroline asked. Elena knew exactly what Caroline meant. There was an audaciously wild bar on a corner of Bourbon Street where there was so much going on atop the u-shaped bar each night that the patrons could likely sit there completely naked and no one would notice. It was good anonymity and they needed to regroup.

"Yeah seven?"

"Seven"

Elijah gave every semblance of being completely relaxed as he finished the rest of his coffee.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	3. Chapter 3

**((A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews. You're all great! We hope you're all enjoying reading this as much as we enjoyed writing it. So without ado here's the next chapter...))**

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"You will never imagine who I ran into today," Elijah said as he entered Klaus' house and found him in his study. Elijah had taken his own place in The Quarters unwilling to deal with Klaus' dictatorial attitude and after promising to adhere to his rules Kol had joined Elijah there.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Klaus replied obviously bored with the conversation already.

"You'll change your attitude in a minute brother," Elijah said as he poured himself a drink and then settled in a chair. "It was Elena Gilbert...and Caroline Forbes..." That definitely had Klaus' attention.

"Caroline? Is here in New Orleans?"

"Yes and Elena too," Elijah mused.

"You'll never guess who I ran into today," Kol said as he entered the study having received Elijah's text. "Bonnie Bennett is here."

"Bonnie, Elena and Caroline," Elijah said thoughtfully. "This is feeling less and less like coincidence..."

"Does anyone know where they're staying?" Klaus asked. He wanted to see Caroline for himself.

"No but I know they'll all be out a little before seven," Elijah smirked. He was going to get to the bottom of this. If it was one thing he didn't like it was deception and the girls had definitely seemed like they didn't want him to know something.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Caroline had been the obvious choice once he discovered her shift ended at seven. She had changed before she left the coffee house and she now wore wedges, very brief shorts and a top designed to catch attention in bright red. She walked over a block to Bourbon gathering plenty of attention and then down two blocks where much to Elijah's surprise she entered what appeared to be a bar - a very noisy bar.

"Okay so what's the plan?" Kol asked as he and Klaus appeared beside Elijah.

"Well if we spook them they'll run so my suggestion is get within hearing range. As nervous as Elena and Caroline were they'll tell us everything we want to know,' Elijah said.

They entered through the opposite corner door than the girls had entered through and were immediately assaulted by the lights, sound and the 'entertainment' atop the bar. At the moment it was topless men in form-fitting jeans doing a routine as the catcalls reached epic proportions. The originals worked their way around in the crowd.

Meanwhile Elena, Bonnie and Caroline huddled together at a table.

"So now Elijah knows two of us are here. This spells big trouble," Elena worried. "I guess I'm going to have to leave town for a few days…"

"We've got to keep them from getting too close. I mean they can't actually get into the house but I know Rebekah was hoping not to be an actual prisoner in her home..." Bonnie worried.

"Don't look now but we've got company..." Caroline gasped.

"Text Bekah the emergency code," Elena gasped as she saw the three brothers before they had fully reached them.

"We need a distraction," Bonnie worried.

"We're gonna make one," Elena said as she pulled Bonnie and Caroline along. One Republic's _Love Runs Out_ began and Elena pulled Caroline and Bonnie up onto the bar. "Okay ladies most important halftime of our lives." The girls spread out and a second later had the attention of the whole bar. They were dipping, twirling and throwing the latest, hottest dance moves. They moved along as they danced flirting with those closest to the bar.

"What...are...they...doing..." Kol barely managed as he couldn't take his eyes off Bonnie. She had on shorts in deference to the heat and a little white mid-riff baring top. Elena's top was completely backless and Elijah watched as she did a walk-over into the splits on the bar.

"Flirting," Klaus grinned. "The biggest, hottest flirt ever."

"She's got my attention," Kol grinned.

With the men's attention on the girls atop the bar they missed Rebekah outside the bar. She stayed to watch the scene - feeling momentarily bad for her brothers but then she managed to get away unnoticed back to safety.

As the song came to a close the patrons of the bar began to reach for the girls. Elijah moved powerfully through the crowd and scooped Elena off the bar. Kol took his brother's cue and did the same for Bonnie. Klaus extended a hand to help Caroline off. They walked out of the bar with the girls and set them on their feet outside.

"That was quite a show," Elijah said as his heated gaze raked over Elena before he masked it.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"When I saw you earlier today love you failed to mention that the doppelganger and baby vamp were with you," Kol looked at Bonnie.

"I didn't know we needed to announce ourselves," Bonnie said boldly. "Besides I thought we were having a friendly lunch date. Did you have ulterior motives?"

"No"

"So what brings you here?" Klaus asked Caroline.

"How did you find us? Did you follow me?" Caroline frowned.

"I followed you," Elijah clarified. "You should be more careful. It was quite easy." Caroline sighed.

"Now what brings you ladies to New Orleans?" Kol asked.

"They came with me," Caroline said while Elena and Bonnie looked shocked. "They came with me okay because I...I knew where Klaus was going to be and I...I..."

Elena could not believe what they were hearing.

"Yes love?" Klaus asked.

"Seriously you want an audience for this?" Caroline yelped.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Let's hear it for the girls who killed on the bar tonight!" Rebekah cheered as the girls returned. "I couldn't believe it when I saw the three of you up there. You were completely rocking the joint!"

"Well we had to do something," Elena sighed. "We couldn't let them see you or they'd really know something was up."

"So what story did you feed them to get them off our trail?" Rebekah asked.

"Well Caroline here confessed her undying love for Klaus on the corner of Bourbon Street," Bonnie said.

"No one else was coming up with anything!" Caroline protested.

"I would have paid to see that!" Rebekah hooted. Caroline looked completely embarrassed. "Caroline you know how much your helping me means to me - all of you. I'm going to make my exit from Klaus' house in a couple of days and if that means I'm under house arrest here for the rest of the time well so be it..."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	4. Chapter 4

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

 _Mystic Falls_

"Seriously brother," Damon groaned when he and Stefan were at the boardinghouse. "You believe that they are in Paris?"

"Caroline's always wanted to go," Stefan said as he packed a few weeks of clothes into his suitcase. "Though Elena might be in Denver with Jeremy and Bonnie so I'll go there while you go to Paris."

"Let me know if you find anything?" Damon asked.

"Of course and you do the same. We'll find them Damon." Damon gave him a mock salute before flashing to the Richmond airport bound for Paris and Stefan ostensibly turned his car for 'Denver'.

He was really going to New Orleans to be with Rebekah and the girls.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

 _New Orleans_

Elena walked into Cafe du Monde for a vanilla cappuccino and a few beignets. They had become a delicious weakness of hers as soon as she had tasted them. Smiling, she sat outside enjoying her beignets when a shadow stood over her. Looking up, she smiled at Elijah who smirked at her.

"I would have thought you would ignore me after last night." She said lightly with a sad smile. "I did lie to you yesterday when we met." He nodded but instead of being angry at the girl in front of him, he was more surprised that she had done so.

"I knew you did," he admitted. "You know that I hate being deceived by people." Now his eyes darkened. "Hayley tried saying that Klaus impregnated her only for a witch friend of mine to tell me that it was a lie. Klaus was devastated by the wolf and I had her punished by having her cursed to be a wolf until she dies." Elena whistled.

"Wouldn't want to be on your bad side."

"Why lie to me about the fact that you now live here?" His question fell from his lips before he could stop it.

"The truth is that I did want a new beginning and to pull a 'Katherine' but I couldn't even do that." She let out before taking a sip of her coffee. The actual truth was that she was protecting Rebekah and Stefan. Her resolve in that was strong and the brothers could try anything they want, she wouldn't break. They could torture her to the brink of insanity and starve her until she desiccates but she won't give away their location or their secret.

"How does Damon feel about this?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"The last time we actually talked, it turned into an argument about my feelings for...an old male friend who came to visit me and Damon accused me of being a 'scarlet woman'." She took a bite of her beignet with a smile. "Stefan overheard everything and sided with me. He's been helping me with getting my life on a better path than if I had stayed with Damon."

He knew to whom she alluded. Elijah remembered visiting her and seeing how she was adjusting to living for eternity after she had killed Katherine the day of her graduation ceremony inside the high school. It did pain him that Elena's life was like this but he would rather have her like this than have to deal with her passing.

"I'm sorry for your break up with him." He told her softly but the words felt forced and hollow.

"I haven't blamed you for how things ended between Damon and I."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Rebekah was nervous as Elena should have been home by now but she wasn't. She wasn't even answering her phone! The blonde checked her phone again to see if an emergency code had been issued. Perhaps she needed to call Bonnie or Caroline. On the other hand maybe she just needed to grab her emergency bag and disappear. Her gut clenched at the thought. She didn't want to leave the girls after all they had done for her – all they were sacrificing for her.

The door finally opened and Elena stood there with a smile on her face.

"Where have you _been_? I've been worried sick about you!" Rebekah was about to lay into Elena when she was stopped by the sight of the brunette before her - though always positive Rebekah had come to realize that Elena sometimes faked her happiness for the well-being of her friends. It was an art Rebekah had never mastered. This time however what stopped Rebekah was the glow about Elena. She genuinely seemed _happier_.

"I spent the day with Elijah and it was... _amazing_." The brunette gushed.

"You do remember the plan was to avoid my brothers right?" Rebekah smirked though she poured two wine glasses – straight blood for herself and half blood half wine for Elena.

"Well they already know we're here now…" Elena said as she sat and began sipping her beverage. "It would probably make them even more suspicious if we just avoided them."

"Okay lecture over. What did you do?" Rebekah asked.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Do you have any plans for today?" Elijah asked.

"No not really. Some days I just like to laze around the French Quarters," Elena smiled.

"Mind if I join you?"

"You don't strike me as the lazy type," Elena smirked.

"I'm trying something new." As the jazz band started a new song they left the café and wandered down the street towards the Farmer's Market. There she wandered from stall to stall taking in the edibles as well as the gifts. She admired a couple of pieces of silver jewelry and a wax seal set for sealing correspondence.

"That seems so elegant," she said.

"Today perhaps but it used to be everyone did that. Although actually it was usually the family crest," Elijah said.

"Yes well the Mikaelson crest is rather impressive." She said very softly. She was well aware that it was not a good idea to speak the Mikaelson name too loudly anywhere.

"Thank you," he smiled. She looked at the set a moment longer and moved on. Finally she found a stall with cheap designer sunglasses and she fell in love with a Burberry pair that was translucent blush plastic on the front and translucent Burberry plaid on the arms. She tried them on three times and each time it took her longer to put them back. Finally Elijah picked them up.

"You must allow me," he smiled and as they left the stand she was sporting the sunglasses. Afterwards they went to lunch at The Acme Oyster Company where Elijah taught Elena how to 'slurp' oysters in the greatest of New Orleans traditions. After lunch they wandered down Royal Street browsing antique stores and Elijah could tell her about many of the pieces. She tried on a beautiful ruby drop necklace.

"I feel like a princess," she marveled as she admired the ruby and diamond confection.

"It looks beautiful on you," Elijah said. She helped him decide on a painting for his townhouse and she even bought him a set of silk handkerchiefs. Finally they had parted company in Jackson Square and she had made sure she wasn't being followed before she returned to her townhouse.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Sounds like you had a really good time," Rebekah smiled. She rubbed the small of her back again. "Oh, I swear I'm getting fat."

"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to happen," Elena smiled.

"Yeah well wait until it happens to you." Elena froze.

"Fat chance," she said.

"Elena I didn't mean…" Rebekah trailed off but Elena had already retreated for her room.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	5. Chapter 5

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Hey, what do you think – purple one shoulder or the red with the back out?" Bonnie asked as she held each selection up before Elena for her opinion a couple of nights later.

"Going out with Kol?" Elena asked.

"No," Bonnie frowned. She smiled as she remembered her earlier encounter. "No actually this guy came up to me when I was coming out of The Blue Moon from getting some ingredients. We struck up a conversation and he was just so nice. So…I'm meeting him for dinner and then some dancing on Bourbon."

"Well have a good time. Just be safe Bonnie," Elena smiled.

"You're not going out with Elijah?"

"I didn't run into Elijah today," Elena smiled. "Where's Caroline?"

"Klaus took her to an art show in The Warehouse District," Bonnie said. She waved the dresses before Elena again.

"Red," Elena smiled.

"Thanks," Bonnie grinned and thirty minutes later she was slipping out the front door and making her way to Bourbon Street. She smiled as she greeted the blonde headed man who had made such an impression on her. He took her to the seafood restaurant the next block up and she was having an okay time but halfway through she realized that yet again she was comparing him to Kol. What was wrong with her? When had she started using Kol as her ideal date measure? She'd never actually been on a date with him – nor did she want to. Lie.

She realized Jacob had finished speaking and was waiting for some sort of response. She flushed with embarrassment and shook her head.

"I'm so sorry my mind wandered a little bit. What were you saying?"

"I asked if you wanted dessert or if you were ready to go dancing…"

"Oh no dessert thanks," Bonnie smiled. They left to walk to the bar with the small dance floor. The doors were open and the action had spilled out well into the street since it was pedestrian traffic only. The band was playing some fantastic dance music and Bonnie was laying out her best moves. Of course the fact that she'd had about five Sazeracs and she was feeling pretty unencumbered at the moment might have something to do with that.

They were dancing towards the outer edge of the crowd which was probably a good thing because all of that alcohol was going to her head and Bonnie was feeling pretty warm.

"Here have another drink," Jacob said and Bonnie knew she should say no but she was so thirsty. He smiled as he watched her drink.

"That's it little witch – drink up," he grinned. Wait? Did he just call her a witch?

"Wait? What did you say?" Bonnie said but she seemed to be having trouble getting the words out. He eased the cup out of her numb fingers. "I don't feel well…"

"I bet you don't," he smirked. He began to lead her towards a darker alleyway down one of the side streets.

"Thanks mate. I'll take it from here," Bonnie heard a new voice through the fog. Why did it seem familiar? Her vision was blurry but she did manage to recognize Kol. He had Jacob pinned against the alley wall and then Bonnie watched helplessly as Kol snapped the other man's neck. She tried to give him an aneurysm – to stop him – but she couldn't focus her magic. In fact she couldn't even seem to stay upright any longer.

As she began to pitch forward Kol scooped her into his arms. His hand felt surprisingly comforting on her back. He settled her on his lap as he sat on the cobblestones.

"Okay, okay…let me help you darling," Kol murmured gently against her ear. A moment later he was offering her his wrist. She wanted to clamp her mouth shut in refusal but her body didn't seem to be responding to any of her commands. Her eyes went wide with fright. She swallowed and Kol's blood tasted amazing. When had blood ever tasted good?

When his wrist had closed Kol scooped her into his arms again and began to carry her.

"I don't suppose you can tell me where you're staying love?" Bonnie shook her head and he wasn't sure if it was because she couldn't or because she wouldn't. Something wasn't right about how secretive she was being with where she was staying.

"Okay well in that case you'll stay with Elijah and me tonight," he smiled at her and she cuddled her head on his shoulder as he walked her the few blocks to Elijah's French Quarter townhouse which incidentally was only three blocks from where Rebekah's townhouse was. He fumbled with getting the door open while still holding Bonnie. When he finally got inside Elijah was writing at his desk. He rose when he saw the state Bonnie was in.

"What happened?"

"I…I was following her but it's a good thing I was. She got tangled up with a werewolf who decided to ruffie her," Kol growled angrily. He carried Bonnie to his bedroom while Elijah followed. "I gave her some of my blood so I'm going to make sure she sleeps it off alright." Elijah nodded and grabbed the coverlet at the end of Kol's bed while Kol found Bonnie's phone. As Elijah made sure she was settled in alright Kol placed a call.

"Hey BonBon, how's the date going?" Elena asked.

"I don't think it went very well considering she got ruffied."

"Kol?" Elena's confusion came through the phone. "Is she alright?"

"I think she'll sleep it off just fine. I believe a werewolf smelled vampire on her and wanted to settle the score," Kol said. "She's staying the night with Elijah and me."

"Kol, thanks for calling me. We would have been worried sick. I'm glad you were there to look out for her."

"Me too," Kol said as he fingered a lock of Bonnie's hair. He ended the call to Elena. Who knows what might have happened to his little witch if he hadn't been there? He'd been jealous as he'd watched her dancing with another. Why wasn't she out with him?

"Possibly because you didn't ask her," Elijah said from the doorway of the bathroom where he had brought a cloth for Bonnie's head. Kol must have spoken his last thoughts aloud. Bonnie groaned suddenly and began to scramble for the edge of the bed. At this point all Kol could do was halfway move out of the way and hold her hair back as she was sick several times.

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	6. Chapter 6

**((A/N: Thank you again for all of the wonderful reviews. We just love reading them and we're so glad that you're enjoying it.))**

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Bonnie opened her eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. The walls were navy blue and white stripes. The bedding was obviously high-end and very comfortable. As she inhaled deeply she could smell the most delightful scent. She couldn't place it but it made her smile – it made her feel a lot of things - at the forefront was desire and she ran from that thought.

"Good morning BonBon," Kol greeted and as Bonnie looked the other direction found she was laid against Kol and he was propped up on one arm watching her. She was in bed with Kol Mikaelson! Oh dear God in heaven what had she done last night! She hadn't even been out with Kol! How did she wind up here?

She sat up on the bed and realized his arms were still wrapped around her. Also they were sleeping under a coverlet and on top of the comforter. She looked straight ahead and noticed that wall was floor-to-ceiling windows with French doors onto a rod iron balcony with what appeared to be a courtyard below. Thankfully that likely meant she was still in New Orleans – with an original one could never be too sure.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently. His hand reached up and moved some hair off her face and that was when Bonnie realized she must look an absolute mess. She got a good look at Kol then and couldn't help the smile on her face as she took in his hair all tousled on his head from sleep – even originals don't wake up looking perfect. On impulse she reached up and shuffled his hair back into some sort of order.

"At least you don't wake up looking like you belong on a magazine cover," Bonnie grinned. Kol smiled as well. He tilted his head to one side.

"I like you like this – exposed, honest and cuddly." Bonnie smiled and then surprised herself by answering.

"I like you like this – natural, a little vulnerable and tender but still wicked as sin." Bonnie smirked. She wondered how many people ever got to see an original this exposed. They were always so put together and three moves ahead of everyone else. Here he was sitting before her with his hair tousled and his shirt off…dear God what's he doing with his shirt off!

"Where's your shirt?"

"Where you left it last night – on the floor," Kol smirked. She had thrown Kol's shirt on the floor? She had taken his shirt off? "Oh Bonnie I'm wounded you're telling me you don't remember last night?" He may as well have some fun with her.

"No? Oh no, no, no…." Bonnie groaned dropping her head into her hands. She remembered going to dinner with Jacob and then they had gone to that bar. She remembered drinking and dancing but it all got a little fuzzy after that. "We slept together?" Kol laughed a moment.

"Relax, BonBon. Your date put something in your drink. Apparently he smelled one of us on you and wanted to settle the score. I got to you just in time and brought you here where Elijah and I are living. I gave you some of my blood to counteract the drugs and since I have no idea where you're actually living I brought you here to sleep it off." The night began to come back to her in fuzzy bits and pieces then. Kol had killed Jacob before he could really hurt her. Then she had drunk his blood.

"It tasted so good…" she murmured as she relived the events of last night.

"The drinks? You had enough Bourbon in you to make a Scotsman proud."

"No, the blood…" Bonnie said off-handedly. She missed Kol's momentary frown. She remembered him scooping her into his arms and then…

"I got sick," she groaned with mortification. She buried her head against his chest and he took the opportunity to wrap his arms even more around her.

"It was better that you got all of that out. My blood could only do so much for getting that drug out of your system."

"Bet you didn't plan on bringing a girl home just to have her throw up on you," Bonnie groaned.

"I was glad I could help," Kol smiled. He waited until Bonnie lifted her head to look into his eyes and then added, "but when I bring you home to make love to you my little witch you will remember every moment of it."

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	7. Chapter 7

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"Okay you're sure Caroline got the message right?" Rebekah asked as she double-checked her appearance and grabbed her purse and shades.

"Yes she knows what's coming," Bonnie said.

"Okay, here goes…" Rebekah smiled and then she stepped into the garage and backed her car carefully onto the street and navigated her way out of the 'one way' mess that was The Quarters. She tried to mentally prepare herself the entire way to Klaus' house. She parked in the drive and sauntered in like she owned the place. Well she used to live there…

"Nik," she called as she sauntered in. She heard Caroline and Nik laughing in the kitchen and entered to find him cooking her lunch. She quickly hid the smile that brought to her lips at the thought of her brother and Caroline being happy together.

"What is she doing here?" Rebekah sniped.

"Good afternoon to you too sis," Klaus greeted, "Caroline and I went to an art exhibit last night."

"And then you promptly fell in bed with the little harlot."

"Watch it Rebekah! I'll not have you speak to her that way," Klaus growled.

"You'll not have me speak to her that way? Are you Elijah now?" Rebekah scoffed bravely. Klaus was before her in a flash.

"Tread carefully sister," Klaus gave her one of his most intimidating looks and it was working as Rebekah trembled.

"I don't need this," she said. "I'm going Klaus."

"Fine! Be gone! I don't need you here!" Klaus yelled angrily. Rebekah hurried upstairs and grabbed the last of her things before she waltzed out the door and drove the short distance back to her townhouse. As she pulled her car into the garage she was crying and she wasn't even really sure why. She knew she had to make an exit sometime and the more dramatic the better but she really didn't like all the deception – necessary though it was. Collecting herself she walked into the house.

"That's done," Rebekah sighed as she flopped into a chair.

"Caroline says you were brilliant!" Elena grinned. "Klaus was furious and he's on the phone with Elijah now."

"Even better news," Bonnie smiled. "Stefan just texted and he's on his way back. He'll be here tonight."

Later that evening as the French Quarter was gearing up for another party. Stefan Salvatore left the garage where he paid to park his car and took a taxi to the corner where their townhouse was. He inhaled deeply checking for anything that might signal a Mikaelson or any other vampire. When he was certain that it was safe he entered the gate to the courtyard smiling as he felt the small fission of the threshold that kept Rebekah safe.

"Stefan!" Rebekah called out as soon as she saw him and he dropped his bags just before she was in his arms. He held her tightly and closed his eyes a smile of relief came to his features. He was home and hopefully he'd be able to stay for a while now while Damon was searching the whole of Paris for them. Rebekah's lips met hungrily with his then and his hands sank into her thick, blonde hair as he kissed her deeply. It was an expression of how much he'd missed her and how much he loved her.

"How are you doing?"

"Great actually, I haven't been sick for over a week and…well I'll tell you about the rest later…" Rebekah smiled as Elena and Bonnie came into the courtyard. Each hugged Stefan tightly.

"I'm glad you're back safe," Elena smiled. "I've got some kind of bad news though. Kol found Bonnie and Elijah found me and it didn't take them long to discover that Caroline, Bonnie and I were living here. As far as I know they don't know anything else."

"We've been trying to keep them distracted by making ourselves available. We're using the 'would you want an original knowing where you live given our history' excuse to part ways and then wandering all over to make sure we're not followed home." Bonnie said.

"Elena Jeremy sends his best to you and a big hug," Stefan smiled. "He still says we're all crazy but he's going to call Damon in a day or so and let him know that you're out there and you promised to come when you're ready."

"I love him," Elena smiled.

"What if Damon flies there from Paris?" Bonnie asked.

"Simple then Jeremy will tell him that you two took off because you realized he was probably coming and then you're in the wind again."

"We just have another five and a half months of this," Elena said and she reached out and took Stefan's hand on one side and Rebekah's on the other. "We're going to make it."

"Okay I'm starving who's up for spaghetti?" Stefan asked and soon everyone was talking and working in the kitchen.

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	8. Chapter 8

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Bonnie closed her eyes as the man pulled her close for a kiss. As his lips met hers she waited for that electric charge. This was more like static electricity than being struck by lightning. As the kiss began to go long and Bonnie wasn't being swept away she started thinking about what she needed to get while she was out this afternoon. When she felt a hand inching up under her blouse she put her hands firmly against his chest and pushed.

"No," she grunted under the second assault from Eric's lips. She'd met him at Café du Monde and had a pleasant conversation over coffee. When he'd suggested they go for a walk Bonnie had eagerly agreed. He had grown less charming as time had worn on. Right about now she was wishing that he was a vampire so she could give him one hell of an aneurysm.

"I believe the lady said no," an all-too-familiar voice said and suddenly Eric was no longer suffocating her.

"Man mind your own business," Eric scowled looking like he was itching for a fight.

"I assure you mate she is my business," Kol said. Before Bonnie realized what he was thinking he had wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against him. When his lips met hers Bonnie went up in flames! The electric charge started at her lips and ignited her whole body pooling deep within her. She resisted only a moment but then she gasped and his tongue slipped inside her mouth and she began seeing stars. Her knees were weak, her vision was gone and her arms wrapped around his neck in hope of keeping herself upright. Oh who was she kidding? She just wanted this kiss – this feeling – to never stop!

As if he knew exactly what she was thinking Kol's arm around her waist tightened minutely to support her and he withdrew for a split second to let her breathe before he was kissing her again. Finally he eased back but he held Bonnie until he was sure she was steady. He smirked as it took her quite some time to recover. She looked around to discover that Eric had disappeared.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked still a little breathless and shaky from the best kiss she had ever had!

"Keeping an eye on you," Kol said, "honestly love I really don't like having to chase down and rescue my girlfriend while she's on a date with someone else."

"I'm not your girlfriend," Bonnie glared at him.

"I think that kiss said otherwise," Kol smiled proudly. "That kiss said you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you."

"It said no such thing," Bonnie said but her heart betrayed her. Kol smiled as he heard it jump. He had enjoyed hearing it race while he was kissing her too. She was amazing! Never had a kiss made him feel so alive!

"You didn't stop me," he pointed out.

"I couldn't…"

"Stop me? You could have given me an aneurysm but that was the furthest thing from your mind. Face it Bonnie – you like me and before you deny it remember your heartbeat is a perfect lie detector."

"You don't do girlfriends."

"I didn't do girlfriends," Kol said sincerely, "but there's something about you Bonnie Bennett and I want you. I don't just mean for one night either. You're beautiful Bonnie and an amazing kisser…" he grinned as he replayed that heated kiss, "but more than that you're an amazing woman and I want to get to know you – every part of you. I hope it takes a long time to do so – a lifetime would be fine."

Bonnie's heart was racing again at his speech and her breath was coming in shaky little gasps. Kol Mikaelson, original vampire, whom they had all declared as psychotic wanted to date her. What did it say about her that she wanted to say yes? He wasn't what everyone else thought he was – when he was with her he had proven himself to be different. There was no denying that she was attracted to him but it was more than that. When she was with him she felt safe, desired – dare she say loved?

"Okay Kol…I'll date you."

"Only me," he frowned.

"Only you," Bonnie clarified, "on one condition – no killing and I mean it Kol."

"I'm already under that deal with Elijah," Kol nodded. "I haven't killed a single human since I've been in the city. Elijah is excusing the werewolf from last week because your life was in danger." They just stared at one another for the longest time.

"So where would my girlfriend like me to take her for lunch?" he smiled.

"How about Tableau? I love their lamb." Bonnie smiled. Kol grinned and then looped his arm around her shoulders as they began walking that direction.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Elena smiled as she walked past Elijah's townhouse. Thanks to Bonnie they now knew where all of the brothers were.

"Good morning Elena," she jumped as she heard his voice but didn't see anyone. "Use the gate it's unlocked." She looked to the courtyard gate. Maybe she should just walk past and pretend she hadn't heard? Coward – she had walked this way in hopes of encountering Elijah and now that she had she was afraid to face him? She reached out and pulled the gold handle. The gate swung in and she closed it behind her.

This courtyard was spectacular. It was lush with greenery and sported some spectacular blooms from a variety of plants. The courtyard was paved in granite but the highlight was a large rectangular pond with a waterfall at one end and a bell fountain in the center. As she drew closer she saw that it was full of koi.

"Some of them will actually let you hold them," Elijah said and this time she saw him on the stairs from the second story balcony. He smiled at her as he continued down the stairs and then walked to her side. To illustrate his comment he reached in and gingerly lifted up a koi. She reached out her hands to touch it and then he returned it to the water.

"It's beautiful in here," she marveled as she continued to look around and saw the outdoor bar with three barstools and the table and chairs of the sunroom pulled close to the large tri-folding automatic doors that opened the bottom floor of the home almost completely to the sights and sounds of the courtyard if desired.

"It's my sanctuary," Elijah smiled. "I like the city but I have always had a thing for nature." She sat down on the edge of the fountain.

"Where were you off to this morning?" he asked.

"Just wandering around actually," Elena confessed. "Caroline's at work and Bonnie went out early this morning so I found myself bored." Now that Stefan was back he and Rebekah were keeping themselves occupied since she was basically confined to the house. Elena didn't want to stay and feel like a third wheel.

"Well consider this courtyard yours to enjoy anytime you like," Elijah offered.

"Thank you."

"I was just about to quench my thirst. Would you like some?" he asked. When Elijah phrased it that way Elena always knew what he meant.

"Yes please." He left her side and she strolled leisurely around the courtyard admiring the flowers. Beautiful music came on moments later and she realized that it was wired for sound as well. The water in the fountain became colored and the colors began to change. He reappeared with two very tall glasses filled with her favorite red sustenance. She smiled as she took the one he offered and settled in one of the two loungers. Elijah settled next to her.

"Is there anything you haven't thought of?" she smirked.

"The fountain was Kol's suggestion actually. It's growing on me – quite spectacular at night. There's also an automatic sprinkler system for those days when it doesn't rain in the afternoon."

"I'm impressed," Elena smiled. She took a long drink and then her tongue darted out to lick her lips clean. Elijah smirked as he watched her. Was there a more exquisite form of torture?

"So what do you think of the city?" he asked.

"I really like it. Well the quarters and the Garden District," Elena amended. "I love the architecture and the history. Of course I would imagine that's even more exciting if you've lived it."

"It is very rich in history," Elijah smiled. "I remember taking Rebekah to the opera house where a hotel now stands on Bourbon Street."

"I bet that was beautiful."

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	9. Chapter 9

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Thankfully they had the cell phones set up to ping their location all over the world because as soon as the guys got the girls' numbers they were calling and texting frequently. Since Bonnie had agreed to date Kol they'd had two lunches and three dinners over the last four days.

This morning Rebekah and Stefan were celebrating the fact that her pregnancy was now visible through her clothing. Everyone had agreed she looked so cute. Envy had gotten the best of the rest of the girls not that they were willing to admit it so they had cleared out of the townhouse.

Caroline had decided she wanted to try photography at the botanical gardens. She had watched some instructional videos online and been inspired. She had taken a few close-up shots of individual blooms but now was trying to get the perfect angle of a Japanese garden complete with mini-pagoda and bonsai. She had taken the shot a couple of times but it just wasn't coming out stunning. If Klaus was sketching it what would he do differently? She stared at the bridge, the pagoda and the bonsais with a critical eye.

"Try ten or twelve steps to the right. The shadows are in the wrong spot," a voice suggested and Caroline whipped around to see Klaus sitting casually on a bench behind her with a wolfish grin on his face and sprawled on the bench as if he owned the whole world. She stared at him for a moment but he just motioned for her to move as he had instructed. She took eleven steps to the right and looked through her lens. He was right the shadows were off the pagoda. It felt a little awkward to her because it wasn't a straight on shot but she had to admit it was the visually stunning shot she'd been looking for.

"Now how about this one," he offered and he had her kneel down next to him on the path. When she focused her camera the direction he motioned she smiled. It was a shot of the mini-pagoda and surrounding bonsai that made them look full size.

"You have to have the eye for it," he said once she'd taken her shot. "You were doing quite well."

"You're better"

"I've had significantly longer to practice," Klaus reminded her. "Not working today?"

"No I'm off today," Caroline replied. She noticed his sketchpad then. "May I have a look?" He handed her the book and she flipped through to where he had drawn the landscape in the garden with the babbling brook. The drawing looked almost alive.

"You are so talented," Caroline marveled. She flipped to the next page and saw several sketches of her. She smiled at him.

"I was inspired," he grinned. "Do you want to continue or can I tempt you with an afternoon in the pool?"

"No I think I'm done," Caroline said. She took one look at that cockeyed smile of his and she was lost.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

 ** _Look out your window_** – Bonnie texted to Kol.

A minute later Kol had flashed out his French doors and down to the courtyard gate. He opened it and quickly had Bonnie in his arms. His lips were on hers a second later. The kiss was quick but efficient as Bonnie's smile increased.

"Elijah, Elena's here," Kol called softly.

"Actually I wasn't going to," Elena said motioning that she intended to keep on walking.

"Nonsense Elijah will be thrilled to see you," Kol grinned and Elena wondered if she was having a dream. Kol Mikaelson was being pleasant and kind? What in the world had happened here? Elena could only think of one thing to attribute it to – love. Kol was genuinely in love with Bonnie and Elena was thrilled for them both. Elijah had appeared at the gate almost as soon as Kol had called him.

"Elena"

"Elijah" she smiled. In truth she was delighted to see him and she had secretly been hoping that he would want to spend time with her.

Kol led Bonnie up the outdoor staircase and along the balcony to his open French doors. As soon as he closed the doors his lips were on hers again and he swept her into his arms and settled her on the bed. Then he walked over to the wall panel and thanks to whole-home automation he cued up some soft rock. Then he climbed onto the bed next to her. He settled against the plump pillows and then motioned for her to settle against his chest.

"I hoped you might let me kiss you senseless little witch."

"Kol I'm not ready to…"

"I know," he said gently, "and if this gets to be too much for you I want you to let me know." She smiled at him and settled against his chest. For a while he just stroked her hair as he held her. When she lifted off him a few minutes later he looked uncertainly at her. She pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto the armoire.

"There you go with my shirt again BonBon," he teased. He smiled as she openly admired his abs. She inched forward and then her lips met his. She heard his intake of breath as she slipped her tongue past his lips and she smiled inwardly – thrilled by the power she could have over a thousand year old vampire. They had shared several kisses when she paused to look at him. His eyes – instead of their usual brown had gone completely black. She smiled as she thought of something that she was almost too uncomfortable to ask.

"What are you thinking little witch," Kol smiled.

"I can't believe I'm about to ask this – please don't laugh. When I first found out that vampires were real…well I read these books… _The Twilight Saga_. I know now that a lot of what's in there isn't true but…Do you ever worry about hurting me when we're kissing?" Bonnie fumbled through her question and was now rather red.

"Not really…I mean I'd have to kill you before it wouldn't be fixable from a physical standpoint. Don't get me wrong Bonnie I would be miserable if I messed this up but unlike Edward turning people in the real world is a bit of a different process."

"You read them?" Bonnie scoffed.

"Why not? It was great for picking up girls for a while there."

"That's just so wrong!" Bonnie giggled and Kol shrugged. Then he turned serious.

"Now I _am_ worried that my emotions are going to get the better of me. I'm more worried of scaring you than I am of hurting you," Kol confessed. "It's pretty likely Bonnie that as we continue my emotions will provoke my face to change and possibly even my fangs to come out. I don't know if you've ever seen that…it doesn't always mean I'm hungry…"

"So in addition to anger triggering it desire can too?" she asked and he nodded.

"But you're in control right?" she looked worried finally.

"If I'm not Bonnie you come at me with everything you've got – you hear me?" he said.

"Well let's see what I'm capable of then," she smiled and a moment later she was kissing him passionately again. Her hands began to tease his nipples and he moaned. His hands tangled in her hair as she barely paused for breath between each searing kiss. Suddenly she felt him become hesitant and a moment later her tongue came in contact with something unusually sharp in his mouth. She traced her tongue around it – exploring. Kol emitted a groan that had to have been heard through the whole house. Bonnie took that as an invitation to do that to the other one.

As she pulled back his veins were in full view and his fangs were out in their full glory. He rolled her over on her back and now he loomed over her like the predator he is.

"Do you trust me Bonnie?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. He ran his fangs against her neck and gave her the barest hint of a nip before his tongue was tracing up her neck. Then his tongue was melding with hers again. She gasped as his hand slipped up her skirt and a moment later he had his hand where no one had been before. Her eyes flew to his and he held her gaze as his finger slipped within her and she gasped.

As he began to move it within her his mouth dropped to her bared nipple. How did he manage that? She hadn't even realized he was baring her. As he continued Bonnie felt the strangest sensations building within her. She was growing tighter-reaching higher and even though she had no idea where she was going she wanted to get there.

"That's right Bonnie," Kol encouraged in a sensual tone. Suddenly her entire body tensed.

"Kol…Kol…" she gasped as her body began to stutter.

"That's right darling…" he said his eyes locked with hers once more and he watched as her world exploded before him. He smiled with the satisfaction that he had given that to her. When she finally began to come back to earth it was cuddled in his embrace. She laid soft kisses on his chest.

"You make me feel things that I've never felt before," Bonnie confessed. Kol smiled down at her and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

"Me too little witch, me too," he sighed happily.

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	10. Chapter 10

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"This is a pleasant surprise," Elijah said as he walked Elena inside. She hadn't been inside before and she instantly took in her surroundings. They had entered through the large tri-fold doors into what must be the dining room and then he stepped into the kitchen at the left. She looked to the right and took a few steps into the living area. It had plush leather sofas and shelves of books.

"What no TV," Elena teased. Elijah touched a button on the tablet lying on the kitchen bar and the top of the table in the living room began to rise revealing a large 4K TV. "Never mind." Elena giggled. She walked over to the pad.

"Okay what else does this do?" She mused. "Lights, music, movie streaming, climate control, heated floors, blinds, security…okay is there anything it doesn't do?"

"I can think of a few," Elijah smirked and just the way he looked at her made Elena tremble. Elena returned the television to its hiding space and then turned on the sound system in the living and kitchen. She searched the albums and then found a playlist titled '50's mix' and having always been a fan of the decade dance she put that one on. _In the Mood_ came on and Elena started some basic swing moves.

"Were you around for the fifties?" she asked. Elijah laughed a little at her phrasing.

"Yes, Klaus only managed to dagger me a couple times for any length of time. I missed the twenties and thirties but I was back by the forties." Suddenly he took her hands and started to do the swing with her. He pulled his hand across her arm and she smiled as she could easily follow that move. Then suddenly he flipped her completely over his arm and smiled at the look of shock on her face. He topped that by passing her over his back and all the way around. Then he dropped her down low, stepped over her and pulled her through his legs with flawless ease.

"Wow," Elena grinned and Elijah smiled.

"Not really my style though," Elijah said and he turned on a tango. "Okay now just follow my legs with your legs…like this…" Elijah began to go through the moves of the tango and Elena was having trouble concentrating in such close proximity. Finally she did a passably good job and he kissed her on the forehead. She put on a very modern club song then and as Elijah stood still she started putting the moves on. She was using her best moves dancing all the way down his front and then gliding back up against every inch of him. Next thing she knew his hands were on her and it became a blend of club dancing and ballroom dancing. She pulled his tie from his jacket and pulled him to her before pushing him away only for him to spin her back their eyes were locked and then his mouth came down on hers. The kiss was magic and even though neither needed it their breathing was coming in pants.

Suddenly a moan of absolute pleasure sounded through the house and Elena pulled back from Elijah starring him in the eyes. Both of their gazes shifted to the ceiling. Then Elijah stepped back from her and the moment dissipated. He fixed them each a drink and they went out into the courtyard to enjoy it.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Sucre was the second place that Elena was addicted to going as she would buy everything that she could. It was almost like walking into a shoe store where everything was your size and it was all on sale. The perfectly placed pastel confections of the upscale confectionary called to her. That day, as she walked into the place, she went straight to the macaroons when a hand was suddenly on her lower back and she turned around so fast that it could have been mistaken for her vampirism.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Elijah said as he watched her expressions play over her face.

"I can't help myself. This place is one of my guilty pleasures," she admitted. "Sucre, Café du Monde and the whole of Bourbon Street."

"I too prefer the café." Looking around, he saw that she was alone and he didn't like it. "Would you like to have something to eat with me here at Salon?"

She nodded she had been once before but the access to the restaurant was hidden away. She never knew where the place was as the last time she and the girls were super drunk and she had almost forgotten about its existence until that day. Taking her hand in his, Elijah led her up the stairs like a perfect gentleman and Elena got her first really good look at it.

It was beautiful.

They were the last table to be seated and while she ordered the Rose champagne with fried pickles and kalamata olives he ordered a red wine with Duck étouffée.

"So tell me something about yourself that no one knows," She said as she took a sip of her champagne, hiding a smile. He thought for a moment and nodded.

"My whole relationship with Katerina five hundred years ago was all compelled for her to believe." Now it was his turn to hide his smirk at her shock. "I assume that you did not expect that, now did you?" At her nod, his smirk turned into a smile. "I will not deny that she was beautiful-all the doppelgängers that I've met had some sort of beauty to them but hers was lacking any depth." He allowed his smile to stay on his face as he asked, "and you?" She took a deep breath.

"My relationship with Stefan isn't what everyone expected it to be." She looked a bit relieved as she chose her next words. "As we were together, we were...intimate once and it was awkward. Once I found that picture of Katherine with his things, I decided that I should leave him which truly didn't happen until after Klaus." Elijah could feel his joy thrumming in him but before he could ask anything, their waitress came over.

"Would you like some dessert?" Elena looked expectantly over at Elijah who nodded.

"The bananas foster please." When she left, Elena gave him a bell like giggle.

"Have you ever had one?" He nodded.

"I like the ice cream and the flower petals the best." She nearly sighed in ecstasy over those two things. "When Caroline, Bonnie and I come here into this section of the Quarter, we always stop here and a few other places."

"Have you done any of the tours?"

"Caroline doesn't do 'tours' and Bonnie doesn't want to be reminded of her legacy of witchcraft that much." Elena sighed sadly. "So no, I haven't done any of the tours though I've walked through a cemetery where Homer Plessy was buried." She nodded. "I managed to sneak in the Greyline Tour Bus and just walked through before sneaking back on." She saw his surprised look. "What I love about compulsion is that it's extremely useful for things like that."

"Anything else you've compelled to get?" She looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

"One day I'd forgotten my money and I wanted not just a tattoo but a bracelet and necklace set with a Fleur de Lis on it."

"Lovely...are you saying that you got a tattoo?" Elijah asked with a raised brow. With a nod from Elena, his eyes grazed over her form lazily. "Where is it?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She purred out in a sensual tone that she had never heard before in her life. He was just thanking every deity in the world when their dessert came.

Whoever had written that dessert was a seduction of the senses had hit the nail on the head where Elena was concerned. He hated every sound she made when she took a bite of the ice cream with the flower petals. The innocent little moans of pleasure and the look of absolute adoration was conspiring to be his undoing. As she finished each bite her tongue would dart out slightly for any ice cream left on her lips.

His legendary patience was put to the test that moment and he hated it. What he wanted to do was take a cab to his townhouse and make sure that she never left his bed unsatisfied.

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"So," Caroline asked as they stood outside of _Oceana_ restaurant. "What do they have here? Just so you know I'm the pickiest eater known to man." Klaus smirked at her and grinned at her supposed blush.

"Plenty of seafood," he said to her. "This is a port city Love." He reminded her as they walked in. The hostess smiled at them and took them to a table for two. Once she left them, Caroline looked over the menu and smiled.

"Know what you're getting already love?" Klaus asked.

"The Jazzy Crab cakes and maybe the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo with the Cosmo." She said smiling at him. Before he could say anything, the waiter came over and smiled widely.

"Hello, my name is Chad and I'll be your waiter for this evening." The way he spoke was filled with nervous energy. "It's my first day on the job."

"I'll have the Praline Duck with a Nola blonde and the lady would like The Jazzy Crab cakes and Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo with a New Orleans Cosmopolitan." Taking it down, the boy sprinted off as though he was superhero of the dinner service. Caroline sighed and Klaus shook his head.

"How do you like it here?" Klaus asked trying for conversation once it was just the two of them. Her smile lit up the whole restaurant in his mind.

"It's amazing! I love it! I'm so happy I moved here!" She was talking excitedly and he was blown away by the way she looked in her skinny jeans and metallic gold halter top. He listened as she spoke with great animation about all the things she loved in New Orleans. The fact that she admired and loved many of the same things he did just added to her allure. Caroline was more than just a pretty face. He found that of all the women he had ever known – and he had known some – she was the one he was enchanted by even though he hadn't gotten her in his bed yet.

Typically Klaus liked the chase but he wanted to get the girl in question into bed as soon as possible and after that his interest waned. Caroline was different. He cared what she thought and felt about things. He found himself sharing personal stories with her – something he never did. He spent two hours at the restaurant – long after dinner had finished – just talking to her. Caroline Forbes was one in a billion and Klaus was an expert at rare treasures.

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 **((A/N: So how is it coming along so far? We hope that you're enjoying it. Please keep those reviews coming and don't forget to tip your waiters! LOL))**


	11. Chapter 11

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"Go on I'll be fine I promise. Just bring me back an order – I'm starving," Rebekah smiled as she subconsciously laid a hand on her baby bump.

"Call if you need anything," Stefan worried.

"Oh for heaven sakes!" Caroline exclaimed and the girls pulled Stefan out the door. They were very careful to give Elijah's townhouse a wide berth.

"Please light on the sugar," Bonnie called as she grabbed the table.

"That's the best part," Caroline giggled.

"As if you need more sugar," Stefan shook his head. When everyone settled at the table Elena raised her cup of coffee in an impromptu toast.

"Here's to eighteen weeks everyone. We made it this far and we're going to make it the rest of the way!" Everyone sloshed their coffee a little as they joined the toast. Stefan looked at each of them seriously then.

"Seriously thank-you. We couldn't have done it without each one of you."

"Especially Bonnie's clever spell to hide the heartbeat," Elena grinned.

"Clever but exhausting," Bonnie sighed and as the beignets arrived she took one. The excess of powdered sugar fluttered into the air. Elena blew some off the top of her beignet all over Caroline. Caroline of course had to retaliate and soon everyone had powdered sugar on them though Caroline and Elena were by far the worst.

"Okay Bonnie and I are going to do the grocery shopping," Stefan said. "I have everyone's lists. You'll get these back to Rebekah?" He gave the bag to Elena.

"Yes and we won't let her have any coffee no matter how much she begs," Caroline asserted. Stefan gave them a grateful smile.

"I'm glad he's back," Elena said to Caroline as they walked towards home.

"Yeah it's a bit of a load off and I don't feel so guilty for wanting to spend time with Klaus," Caroline said and Elena nodded her agreement.

Elijah and Klaus had easily picked up their scents leaving Café du Monde – because let's face it the younger a vampire is the more naïve they are. They followed the girls as they wandered around The Quarters but just as Elijah thought that perhaps they had been made Elena and Caroline slipped through a gate into a courtyard.

"Let's say hello shall we?" Elijah grinned to his brother. Klaus nodded and they walked to the front door giving it a knock.

"Did you forget your keys again?" Rebekah asked as she opened the door and her smile died on her lips.

"Rebekah what are you doing here?" Klaus immediately became worried. "Leave them alone!" He raced towards the door but was stopped by the threshold. As Rebekah backed up in fear Elijah got his first really good look at his sister. Shock colored all of his features.

"It's not possible," he gasped as he looked at his sister.

"I assure you it is," Rebekah said as she rested a hand on her baby bump.

"Caroline!" Klaus worried still trying to pass the threshold to come to her defense.

"I assure you she has nothing to fear from me," Rebekah said. "Girls!" she called back into the house and a minute later Elena and Caroline appeared. Elijah and Klaus were clearly angry, hurt and confused. Caroline pulled her cell phone and began texting.

"Why don't you invite us in so we can all talk about this?" Klaus offered and Caroline, Rebekah and Elena were all shaking as they took in his wrath.

"No," Caroline said firmly and she glanced down at her phone again. Elijah smirked and uttered a small laugh of self-derision.

"They can't brother. They're short one witch. I have to hand it to you – very clever putting the townhouse in Bonnie's name."

"I'm calling Kol. Once we have the witch all we have to do is turn her and this is over," Klaus grinned maniacally.

"No!" the girls exclaimed. Klaus was already on his phone. Suddenly Rebekah gasped and leaned forward a twinge of pain crossing her features.

"Bekah!" Elena worried. Elijah's expression immediately turned to one of concern. Elena helped Rebekah into the living room to sit down.

"They'll kill him if they catch him," she worried.

"Shh…it will all be okay Bekah. Don't give up on us yet. You just take care of the baby. That's all that matters." A moment later they were diverted by a sound upstairs and a minute later Stefan Salvatore and Bonnie Bennett appeared in the entry hall. Bonnie had a malicious look on her face that could rival Kol's. Their brother joined Elijah and Klaus outside a moment later looking murderous.

"What is this about Rebekah being in Bonnie's house?" he was obviously very concerned.

"Bonnie I think you need to do it," Stefan said.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to put it back," she warned.

"I don't think you'll have to," Stefan said. He walked into the other room and returned with Rebekah.

"OMG," Kol gasped as he took in his big sister's appearance. Bonnie began to chant as her hand hovered over Rebekah's abdomen. A moment later Rebekah and Stefan smiled as everyone except Bonnie could hear the very fast, small heartbeat. Elijah couldn't help the smile that came to his face – not only did he know that Rebekah had wanted to be a mother for a long time but also he recognized the miracle for what it was – the Mikaelson family would continue.

Rebekah looked hopefully to her brothers. Kol was in shock, Elijah was amazed but Klaus was still furious.

"Bonnie you let me in this house this instant," Kol demanded.

"Why all the secrecy?" Elijah asked.

"Surely that should be self-evident," Elena replied gesturing to their reactions.

"Ripper how dare you!" Klaus growled and he came at the threshold again.

"Niklaus I want this! Can't you see I love him! I love this baby! I have wanted a family for so long and this…this is my miracle."

"How is it even possible?" Elijah asked.

"Ayana hid a spell for us," Rebekah smiled. "All it takes is original blood, Mikaelson DNA and the ingestion of Ayana's favorite ingredient by the original."

"That's it?" Klaus worried.

"Now that I've gone to all the trouble to have the seal broken," Rebekah replied. It took Elijah a moment of thought but with a smile he was certain that he remembered. Of the three of them Klaus was the one least likely to accidentally ingest wolfs bane.

"Worried you'll commit fatherhood?" Rebekah teased at Klaus' shocked expression as he stared at Caroline. Kol knew he hadn't done so already but now he was worried because he couldn't remember what Ayana's favorite ingredient was.

"You lied to me!" Klaus suddenly turned his anger toward Caroline. "This…all of this has been a lie!" Kol looked to Bonnie with a wounded expression while Elijah stared at Elena with a hooded expression.

"Kol you're confused right now but you know the truth," Bonnie said and she was already becoming teary-eyed. "I hope you know by now how I feel about you." Elena stared at Elijah and then as everyone watched in amazement she began to walk forward. She pulled free of Stefan's grasp with a pointed look and forced Caroline out of her way.

"Elena don't!" Bonnie and Rebekah both worried.

"Bonnie you protect Rebekah no matter what," Elena said as she continued to take slow, measured steps forward. She stopped just on her side of the threshold.

"Rebekah called me to ask for my help to make her and Stefan's dreams come true. At first I didn't know what to think – what to believe – but then I heard that heartbeat and I understood Rebekah's desire to have a child. So yes we deceived you – conspired to do so – but it was all in the name of bringing new life into the Mikaelson family. For no other reason than I want Rebekah and Stefan's happiness and I believe in what they're doing." Stefan had his arms wrapped around Rebekah and their hands on her baby mound. Rebekah lifted her hands to hold the hand of Bonnie on one side and Caroline on the other in solidarity. Then to everyone's amazement Elena stepped through the threshold.

"Well that simplifies things," Kol smirked. "Since Elena is willing to come out all we have to do is flirt with her demise and one or the other of them is bound to come out." Elijah glared at Kol as if he was considering implementing Kol's plan on the architect of such a mindless endeavor.

"Kol if you even think of harming Elena so help me I will rip your heart out of your chest." Kol took one look at his oldest living brother and knew with deadly certainty that he meant every word.

Elijah calculated that from where Elena stood she had a fifty-fifty chance of making it back across the threshold before he could reach her – less if his brothers got involved; more if the Bennett witch was powerful enough to hold them off.

"By your presence on this side of the threshold in such a bold move am I to assume that you wish to make a deal?" Elijah asked.

"No I'm simply putting my trust in you and my faith in the fact that you will do the right thing," Elena said her eyes never leaving his.

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Kol had to fight from unleashing his inner vampire. He wanted to find the first human and tear them to pieces – blood everywhere. He ran from that thought quickly – in fact he was jogging back towards Elijah's place. He had to get somewhere where it was safe to lose it. He didn't know what to believe – who to trust right now. He made the gate and then went straight for the bar. He poured a drink – downed it in one gulp and poured another.

Had it really all been a lie? He had been falling so hard. Had she made a fool of him? It had all felt so real – surely that had to count for something. He threw the glass against the brick wall watching it shatter to oblivion with some satisfaction. He grabbed another glass and poured another drink. He emitted an angry growl. She had used him in the worst way! Klaus was right – love was a vampire's greatest weakness!

If that was the case then why did he feel so powerful when he was with her? He felt like he was her everything – she had made him feel that way. Had it really all been deception? Something inside him wouldn't believe it – staunchly refused. He groaned in anguish, downed his drink and poured another. If love was a vampire's greatest weakness then how had Elijah gotten Elena to defy everyone and walk past the threshold with just a look?

He missed her already – missed her smile, her laugh and the way she felt when he held her in his arms. He missed the way that she was excited to see him these days – her whole face seemed to light up and just the memory made him smile. He had another drink. Kol remembered the way his name had sounded on her lips as he had tenderly introduced her to the beginnings of love making. She had trusted him – even when his face had changed and his fangs were out. She had boldly kissed him teasing his fangs with her tongue. Surely only love could bring that about?

The second glass met the same fate as the first splattering into shards like his heart at the moment. This was foolish! He had been with hundreds of girls in his lifetime! Why should this one be any different?

She was different.

He had made her different.

Because he loved her.

What was he going to do? The third glass hit the wall and he poured himself another drink but then his head fell against his arm and he did something he hadn't done in over five hundred years. In the silence of the courtyard interrupted only by the noise of the street beyond Kol Mikaelson wept. He wept because he was confused, because he felt betrayed but mostly because he was in love with his little witch and now quite certain that he could no longer bear to be without her.

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	12. Chapter 12

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The mood in the house changed drastically as it felt more like a prison. For the last week Elena had been the only one to leave the house. She'd made stealthy beignet runs and plenty of trips to the drug store for magazines and movie rentals – anything that she thought might cheer them up but nothing seemed to be doing the trick.

"Where are you off to this morning?" Elijah asked. He had just fallen right into step with Elena as she walked along the sidewalk.

"Grocery shopping," Elena said. "We're out of almost everything so no more avoiding it. Last night we ran out of the last of the ice cream and caramel syrup so before we have a crisis on our hands I figured I'd better go."

"We'll help," Elijah said and Elena jumped when she realized Kol was also walking with them.

"I'm not going to let you in," Elena said firmly.

"I know – I just want to talk to her," Kol sighed.

"She misses you," Elena said.

They finished the shopping quickly and everyone was loaded down with bags as they walked back to the girls' townhouse.

"Bon, Care I'm back! Come out to the gate and I'll pass them through," Elena called. The girls appeared a moment later and all Bonnie and Kol could do was stare at one another. Elena began to pass the bags through while the girls carried them into the house.

As they came back for the second trip Bonnie reached to take the bags from Kol out of habit. Her arm crossed the threshold to grab the bags and she didn't realize it until Kol's thumb rubbed the back of her hand. Bonnie's first instinct was to use whatever magic necessary to get her hand back but she hesitated as her eyes were locked with his. He wasn't making any attempt to pull her across though he could easily do so.

The others had been finishing up the groceries oblivious to what was going on next to them. Now they were all staring at Bonnie and Kol.

"Bonnie?" Caroline asked.

"He's not hurting me," Bonnie replied though she never took her eyes off Kol.

"I think we're good here Care," Elena said where she was leaned against the outside of the gate in close proximity to Elijah.

"Okay," Caroline sighed, "but I think I'll go sit on the balcony for a while." She disappeared.

Kol was completely amazed when Elena casually turned her attention to Elijah and started up a conversation. He glanced at her a minute and then turned his attention back to Bonnie. His thumb was still rubbing the top of her hand and she was watching him do so.

"I miss you," Bonnie finally admitted after a long silence.

"I miss you," Kol replied sincerely. "Come out Bonnie – let me take you to dinner." He could see the war raging in her eyes. She was conflicted.

"I can't" The fact that she wanted to brought him hope.

"You told me you trusted me," Kol became edgy.

"With my life Kol," Bonnie said sincerely and she pulled him forward until he was at the edge of the threshold. He could feel its invisible power brushing against him. She reached up and caressed his cheek. He closed his eyes and tilted his head into her touch.

"But this isn't just my life," she continued after a long, charged moment. "This is Stefan's life and the baby's life – maybe even Caroline's life." She remembered how Klaus had raged outside the house all night.

"Bekah's my big sister Bonnie. I love her but for a thousand years give or take we've all tried to help her through the immutable fact that vampires can't procreate. So imagine my shock to see her with child. Just how far along is she? Is that permissible to ask a lady these days love?" Bonnie smiled.

"Yes people ask that these days," Bonnie replied. "She's nineteen weeks or just one week shy of five months."

"How long have you known?"

"Three months," Bonnie said.

"I can't believe she was in the same house with all of us and no one knew," Kol marveled. "That was a very powerful spell." Bonnie shrugged. Her legs were getting tired but she didn't want to stop talking to him so she slid to the ground against the bricks curling her knees to her chest. He followed her down and her hand never left his.

"Is the baby…normal?" Kol worried.

"The heartbeat is perfect. Rebekah, Caroline and Elena counted all the heartbeats in a minute and it's right on track. I imagine the spell allows for the baby to be born human and then revert to vampirism once they've finished growing. There was mention that the resulting offspring would begin to require blood in their late teens. That should make beginning to date fun." Bonnie quipped.

"That's my niece or nephew," Kol smiled. "When will we know?"

"Well normally by now she would have been to the doctor and had a sonogram but we're worried about what might be discovered so that's not possible. So I guess when the baby is born. They did that for hundreds of years before technology."

"Do you know what I want to do most in the world right now?" Kol asked gently. Bonnie looked at him waiting for his answer.

"I want to carry you to my bed and kiss you senseless my little witch." She looked at him with longing in her eyes and maybe something more but his reaction to Rebekah's news had been a setback. They sat there for the rest of the afternoon with their hands joined and they talked of nothing and everything. It was all he could get but it was her and that was enough.

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	13. Chapter 13

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Elena was sitting at the bar in Rousseau's when this human male walked right into her and 'accidentally' spilled not just the Bloody Mary he had in his hand but the Hurricane and the Hennessy as well.

"Dear God miss!" He choked out as he grabbed many, many napkins to help dry her off. "I am so sorry about that! Clumsy me." He smiled and she was brought into a memory of Matt-cute and loyal to a fault-as he had the same blonde hair though his eyes were a lighter brown color but that memory of him hit full force. "I'm James, you?"

"Adaline." She lied instantly.

"I'm so sorry Adaline," he smiled. "Why don't you let me buy you a drink in way of apologizing?" Elena looked at him through half-lidded eyes.

"I'd like that," she smiled. He took the drinks to a couple of guys at a table and then returned to take the stool next to Elena. She turned to face him and very seductively crossed her legs. She smiled as she heard his heartbeat accelerate.

Elijah had followed her scent to Rousseau's but when he entered he was shocked. Elena was sitting at the bar talking to a blonde headed man. At first Elijah thought perhaps it was the school quarterback, Matt, from Mystic Falls but on closer inspection it clearly was not. Her hand was on this man's knee while they laughed with one another. As he watched that delicate hand inched upwards on his thigh – the man's heart was racing and Elijah began to see red.

He walked over to the bar.

"Could I speak to you for a moment?" She turned to him and at least she looked like a deer in headlights as she took him in. He hoped his expression didn't look as murderous as he felt right now.

"Excuse me," Elena smiled at the man.

"It was lovely meeting you Adaline," the man grinned. Elijah took her arm and led her from Rousseau's.

"Okay Adaline, what was the end game?" he asked with a tinge of anger to his voice. "I didn't think you hunted?"

"I can hunt!" Elena got defensive. They rounded the corner and were already headed towards Elijah's townhouse.

"I didn't ask if you could…but you shouldn't do it on your own down here. This city can be dangerous."

"I wasn't hunting okay! He spilled drinks all over my clothes and then offered to buy me one. He was nice and we got to talking…" she said.

"That looked like more than talking," Elijah practically growled as he opened the gate to the courtyard of his townhouse. About that time the storm clouds that had been threatening all afternoon gave in and the heavens poured down on them.

"Last time I checked that was fine too!" Elena said.

"The hell it is," Elijah said in a husky voice before he pulled her to him and his lips came down on hers - neither seemed to care that it was raining as their mouths met hungrily. Elena regained her senses first and flashed away from him into the living room. He flashed in after her and pulled her back against him.

"If you want to flirt Elena I'm right here!" he said huskily.

"So now you want me?"

"Elena I have wanted you from the moment I first laid eyes on you," Elijah said as his eyes raked over her. What she did next shocked him. When her eyes left his her hands reached up for his shirt and without regard to the buttons she ripped it open sending the buttons flying. A moment later she stood on her tiptoes, using his tie as leverage and her mouth met his. His hand sank into her hair as the other found the small of her back and crushed her closer to him. Her hands found their way onto his chest and Elijah moaned as her delicate fingers began to ignite his senses giving rise to the fire within.

Seizing control he grabbed her and whisked them to the stairway. They made it to the landing before he slammed her against the wall, cracking the dry wall and she released a moan as his lips explored her jaw and then down the side of her neck. He was kissing everywhere he could find skin and Elena could scarcely believe what was happening. She was being seduced by an original! Elijah Mikaelson was going to make love to her!

As he lifted his head she saw something no one in her group had seen before. Elijah's eyes were dark and his veins were in full force. She was having that much of an effect on him. He smiled with satisfaction as he saw her face had changed and as he kissed her again her fangs were out. He teased each one with his tongue – something no one had ever done to her before – and Elena's legs gave way.

Elijah had hold of her blouse and he peeled it over her head discarding the ruined garment on the floor before he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They made it the rest of the way up the stairs and into Elijah's suite. She'd never seen his bedroom before and she wasn't seeing it now as he lowered her to the bed and then prowled up her body with the lithe grace of a tiger. The hungry look in his eyes made the heat pooling deep within Elena come even more alive. He unfastened the button on her skirt and in one quick movement it landed on the floor.

He closed his eyes for a moment as he savored the image before him. Lovely Elena Gilbert was lying on his bed practically drunk with desire in a black lace bra and matching panties. Did she always dress like this? He was going to order everything she desired from La Perla. His tongue darted out to leave a hot trail from the top of her panties up the middle of her body to the hollow of her throat. She groaned with pleasure and her body arched to meet his tongue as it ravished her. When he reached her throat her hand in his hair commanded him to kiss her lips once more and he eagerly complied.

His hand settled on her knee and Elena jerked as it traveled up her thigh. Stefan had never done this to her – he could see it in her eyes.

"I am going to take you places you have never been Elena," he said in a voice that was both tender and husky. His hand trailed up her thigh in much the same manner that she had been doing to the man at the bar and she trembled with the electric pulses of pleasure it was creating. No wonder the man's heart had been racing as hers now was! Her eyes went wide as Elijah ripped her panties and with his other hand unfastened her bra and tossed it haphazardly onto a chair.

As Elijah's hand slipped into her most private place Elena gasped and would have come up from the bed if not for Elijah's gently restraining hand on her abdomen. A moment later his finger slipped inside of her and Elena gasped her eyes seeking his. He saw her uncertainty and a fear of losing what they had. She saw his tender devotion for her and – dare she hope – love? His lips lowered to hers and his tongue began to mimic the actions of his finger. A few moments later he added another and Elena sighed with pleasure as that heat swirling in the pit of her stomach was calling for release.

He smiled with satisfaction as he felt her growing tighter, reaching for the satisfaction that he was going to bring her. He smirked with delicious devilment before his tongue teased her nipples, first one and then the other. She arched her back trying to find release and her unnecessary breaths came in short pants.

"I've got you Elena…you can let go," he said tenderly. Her eyes were searching his when finally her world exploded and he smattered her body with gentle kisses as she floated back to earth. When she opened her eyes again the look in them stole Elijah's breath and seized his heart. There was so much love in her eyes – all for him! His desire changed in that moment – he became more gentle and tender.

Her hands came to his chest and she carefully traced over his skin with so much tenderness. She tenderly ran her finger over some of the names that were tattooed on his perfectly sculpted chest.

"Okay Elena where is it?" he said barely above a whisper. She rotated a little and placed her left hip in his view. There in all of its glory was a Fleur de Lis and Elijah's own name. She watched him trying to read his reaction. His finger reached out to trace the still sensitive skin and she trembled under his touch. Her hands ran down to slip into the waistband of his pants and she struggled with the button. He chuckled a little.

"Let me help you with that," he said and in a flash he had removed his pants and as he rejoined her she took him in. Her eyes became wide with apprehension and reminded him of her virtual innocence. He placed her hand on his chest and his atop hers and then guided their hands down until her hand connected with that part of him that was uniquely male. He groaned as she began to touch him and he let her do so for only a moment before he raised her hands over her head and his mouth met hers again.

He slid slowly inside of her pacing himself to allow her to adjust to his size. She was so tight he could almost believe she was completely untouched. Once she seemed more relaxed he began to move within her. Soon both of their faces were changing again. As he kissed her he worried because his fangs had finally come out – he never lost control like this! Her tongue began to trace over them and he groaned with absolute pleasure. The fire between them began to build again and each one was climbing for that elusive pleasure that only the other could give.

"Elijah…Elijah…" Elena worried becoming almost frantic.

"I love you Elena," he said tenderly, "just let me love you."

"I love you Elijah!" she called out as her world splintered into nothing but pleasure and the safety of his arms. Her climax brought his release and he could not remember ever feeling like this. The thunderstorm was still raging outside but it was nothing compared to the storm that had occurred within the walls of Elijah's bedroom.

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 **((A/N: As always reviews are appreciated. We hope you're enjoying this one. If you have any suggestions for a story you'd like to see by either of us or both of us please drop us a message.))**


	14. Chapter 14

**((A/N: Hope you're enjoying this as much as we enjoy writing them - which is to say a whole lot! As always please review.))**

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Elena woke up to a pleasantly sore but amazing feeling surging through her and she was smiling widely. Turning into the warm body pressed into her, she began placing kisses along his chest when his own kisses went _everywhere_ she wanted.

"Please Elijah..." She moaned lightly. "More... I need _more_!" Grinning, he smiled and began to give her everything that she desired.

They didn't leave the bed until eight fifty in the morning and instead of putting on her clothes, she shrugged on one of his button up shirts and flashed downstairs before he did. As soon as he was down there, with only a pair of jeans on, he wrapped his arms around her. Twirling in his embrace, she started kissing him and he allowed her to be a bit dominant before he took control of her mouth.

"OH MY GOD! MY EYES BURN! MAKE IT STOP!"

They pulled away quickly and saw Kol looking at them in horror.

"I know you both like being a couple but really? I mean I'm happy for you guys but I don't need to see it."

Elijah nodded and began pressing little kisses to her throat.

"All I wanted was just a cup of coffee, not a good show." Kol grumbled as he left, phone in hand. The first person he was going to call with this news was Bonnie and then, Klaus.

Was it wrong to be jealous of his older brother? Peaking back into the kitchen, he saw Elijah looking much happier than he had ever seen him and knew then that it would be wrong to be jealous.

It was, after all, partially his fault for believing Klaus about Bonnie's feelings for him.

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"She did what?!" Bonnie gasped over the phone. She put her hand over the phone and motioned Caroline into the room.

"Elena slept with Elijah," Bonnie said practically without sound mostly just mouthing the words but Caroline's resultant yelp filled the house.

"OMG!" Caroline cried out. "I…I just can't…I can't hardly believe it…"

"Oh I would," Rebekah said from the doorway her hand rubbing her twenty weeks of pregnancy. "Elijah has been pining after her since he met her. Of course now that I really know her and you're all like sisters to me I hope he holds on and never lets go. They deserve each other." She smiled genuinely happy.

"Wow…I'm happy and depressed at the same time," Bonnie sighed instantly wishing she had that with Kol right now. Seeing him on the other side of an invisible wall each day was becoming a beautiful torture. "God willing there's ice cream and syrup left. I'm pretty certain Elena won't be making a shopping run today." With another sigh she left for the kitchen.

"I'd pay to see my brother's reactions to this," Rebekah grinned.

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Klaus was sprawled on one of the leather couches in Elijah's living room when Elijah returned from the kitchen.

"Whatever happened to using a doorbell or a cell phone?" Elijah raised a brow. Completely ignoring Elijah's question and continuing to make himself at home Klaus poured two drinks and passed one to his brother.

"So I hear you finally slept with the doppelganger," Klaus smirked. "I suppose that's one way to end this standoff."

"Her name is Elena," Elijah frowned as he settled on the opposite couch with his drink, "and this has nothing to do with any kind of plot." Klaus gave his brother a doubtful look.

"I love her Niklaus and before you come up with some diabolical plan to use that to your advantage she is family to me and you know how I feel about my family," Elijah said firmly. "If you weren't so busy casting yourself in the role of the betrayed yet again you could be with Caroline. She clearly has very strong feelings for you but she'll move on if you just keep pushing her away."

"That was all a lie Elijah! It was an elaborate plot to keep us distracted while our sister carried Stefan's baby!" Klaus yelled angrily.

"There is nothing insincere about the way they feel for us brother," Kol said angrily as he came through the room with a blanket. "Elena loves Elijah – you can see it in her eyes. It's the same thing I see in Bonnie's eyes and even Carolines'. They are only eighteen years old brother. They haven't had a thousand years practice lying to themselves and everyone around them." Kol gave a long look to Elijah who gave a brief nod and then Kol walked out to the courtyard gate and was gone.

"He's starting to sound like you," Klaus snarled.

"Then there's hope for him yet," Elijah smiled gently.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

When Kol arrived Bonnie was already there – standing just behind the threshold. She smiled at him and he gave a bigger smile back. He folded the blanket and then tossed half of it over to her side so they could both have a comfortable place to sit.

"You could have just called like you did this morning," Bonnie smiled.

"I like this better," Kol said as he leaned against the wall and got comfortable.

"Me too," Bonnie grinned. "So I'd ask how your morning went but…"

"Yeah I can't believe Elijah finally made a serious move. He's never been one for casual sex – his sleeping with Elena last night is symbolic."

"She's on cloud nine," Bonnie sighed.

"You're unhappy."

"I'm frustrated and a little…"

"Envious?" Kol suggested and Bonnie's eyes locked with his.

"I should have never doubted your feelings for me Bonnie."

"No you shouldn't have," Bonnie agreed angrily.

"Ouch!" Kol winced as she unintentionally sent pain his way.

"Okay two can play that," Kol grinned and a moment later Bonnie began to giggle. It felt like she was being tickled all over but no one was touching her. Bonnie's eyes went wide with shock as she realized what was happening.

"Kol!" she gasped staring at him. He cocked his head to one side and raised a brow.

"You have magic," she whispered. He gave the slightest hint of a nod.

"No one outside the Mikaelson family is ever supposed to know. We weren't turned like other vampires – we were created and we all retained a little magic. Klaus is the weakest and unless Elijah is saving his as a hold card then mine is the strongest. I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Your secret is safe with me," Bonnie said gently. "What can you do?"

"I'm not nearly as powerful as you," he confessed, "but I've got enough to have a little fun." He concentrated and Bonnie levitated up from the blanket slightly. Her smile grew large and he set her back down.

"Then you could defend against my attacks."

"No and I don't ever want to be able to," Kol said firmly. "The fact that you can take me down makes me feel better around you."

They sat there and talked for hours – so long that Bonnie brought Kol some blood. Finally they were parted by an afternoon thunderstorm.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	15. Chapter 15

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Over the next three weeks they watched as Rebekah grew larger and more beautiful in her pregnancy with each passing day. They smiled as they often took turns feeling the baby kick. She and Stefan were so excited it was hard not to be jealous.

Rebekah bolted upright in the middle of the night her breath coming in shallow pants. Stefan was awake almost immediately.

"Rebekah what is it?" he worried.

"There's a pain. I can't catch my breath," Rebekah worried. Stefan reached out and felt her baby bump surprised when there was almost no movement. They had grown used to the baby being very active at night.

"Elena, Bonnie, Caroline," Stefan called and within minutes everyone had appeared in the bedroom in their pajamas. Rebekah was crying both with fear and pain.

"I want Elijah, Stefan," Rebekah pleaded. Stefan hesitated one moment and then looked to Elena.

"Go," he said thankful that for once Elena was home.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Elijah!"

The panic in Elena's voice had Elijah bolting upright in his bed. He threw on a pair of pants and was still buttoning his shirt as he raced into the courtyard. Kol was already there standing before Elena shirtless and in a pair of jeans.

"It's Bekah," Elena looked at Elijah, "something's wrong and she's asking for you."

"The baby?" Elijah worried. Elena shook her head that she wasn't sure and the three vampires sped to Rebekah's in the dead of night. Bonnie was waiting in the courtyard.

"Elijah come in," she said and just like that the barrier dropped for him and Elijah passed through. He hurried upstairs with Rebekah while Bonnie stayed at the threshold with Kol.

"Go please," Kol begged, "if there's anything you can do to help her I want you to be there." Bonnie reached out and squeezed his hand a moment.

"Don't go"

"I'm not going anywhere," Kol vowed. By the time Bonnie got upstairs Elena and Caroline were standing at the doorway while Stefan was sitting next to Rebekah and Elijah seemed to be examining her.

"What would he know about pregnancy and babies?" Caroline worried. She still thought a hospital was the best course of action.

"I delivered Rebekah and Kol," Elijah replied surprising Elena, Bonnie and Caroline, "and I fully intend to deliver this one when it's time. Right now I really need to see in there. Bonnie I think you could help me out with that." Elijah grabbed pen and paper and scribbled down a spell – even in this crisis he wasn't going to expose that he had a little magic of his own.

Bonnie placed her hands on Rebekah's baby bump and began to speak the spell. Elijah entered her mind. He was drifting deeper and deeper – following the magic through her hands. He couldn't get the images to become clear. Reaching out to grasp her arm Bonnie suddenly felt her power boosted. Elijah was adding his magic. Bonnie could tell that he was strong but it still wasn't enough and she felt the backlash as the spell failed.

"I need Kol," Bonnie looked to Stefan. Stefan looked to Elijah just a moment and then nodded to Bonnie. She ran to the balcony.

"Kol come in I need you!" she called. Kol flashed to Bonnie's side and she took his hand to lead him to Rebekah and Stefan's room where everyone was in their pajamas and looking worried.

"Bekah what's wrong?" Kol worried taking in his sister's pained expression.

"We don't know," Bonnie answered, "Elijah knows a spell that will enable him to see inside but I didn't have enough power. I think if I draw on my feelings for you it should be enough." Kol nodded instantly understanding what she meant.

Bonnie placed her hands on Rebekah again and began to chant. When he was sure that she was stable he placed his hands atop hers on Rebekah. Kol's eyes opened again as she began to draw on his magic. It had been so long since anyone had done so.

She schooled her features not to show the sudden jolt she felt as his magic became hers. He was not as strong as her but he was much stronger than many she had encountered. She pushed all her thoughts and feelings on the subject aside and focused on the task at hand.

Elijah slipped into Bonnie's mind not at all surprised to find Kol there. He was standing his ground defiantly but Elijah advanced on him and gave him a firm brotherly hug.

"Guarding her gate?"

"I will protect her always," Kol said. Elijah smiled.

"You love her. I am happy for you Kol. Bonnie is a wonderful person – smart, selfless and independent. I'd be happy to talk more about this but not right now."

"Fix this Elijah," Kol said sincerely and Elijah nodded before his image faded. This time Elijah's vision passed beyond Bonnie's hands and into Rebekah.

The others in the room watched silently the expressions on Elijah's face as he worked. Kol was practically wrapped around Bonnie where they were providing a conduit for Elijah.

"Elijah will figure out what the problem is," Elena tried to reassure the expectant parents. Bonnie jerked and Kol wrapped around her tighter. Caroline looked like she was ready to intervene but Elena was calmly confident in Elijah's abilities.

"Ok!" Rebekah gasped and Stefan held her to offer his comfort. Finally Bonnie and Rebekah relaxed. Elijah opened his eyes and a smile came to his eyes as he looked to Rebekah and Stefan.

"The baby's going to be fine," he said with obvious relief.

"The…do you want to know the gender?" Elijah asked. Elena had settled beside him on the bed her head leaned against his shoulder and her hand on Rebekah's abdomen. It jolted him when he saw that look in her eyes. It was a look his sister had borne for almost a thousand years.

"Yes," Rebekah and Stefan decided.

"It's a girl," Elijah announced proudly, "a very strong, very healthy baby girl who incidentally broke your rib. It wasn't positioned right and it healed piercing your lung. Thanks to Bonnie and my brother here I was able to set it properly. You should be just fine."

"It's a girl!" each of the girls announced and Elijah realized all of them had baby longing.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	16. Chapter 16

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Once Rebekah was settled Elijah urged Elena to come back home with him. Caroline assured them that she'd call if anything came up.

"Come with me Bonnie," Kol extended his hand to her, "please." Bonnie looked a little hesitant a moment as she weighed her options.

"Okay," she smiled at him. A moment later he had grabbed her arms and pulled them over his shoulder dragging her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he piggy-backed her all the way to the guys' townhouse. She was laughing as the tension from tonight and indeed the last three weeks began to leave her body.

Kol flashed up to his bedroom with her and sat her on the edge of the bed. He settled against the plush pillows of the bed but Bonnie didn't settle against him. Instead she sat facing him on the bed with only her hip touching his. She was admiring him sprawled out so casually in his jeans though. He looked like one of those 'wicked as sin' billboard models.

"Thank you for helping Bekah tonight," he said.

"You helped too."

"I know but I would do anything for my sister. She's my family," Kol said. "We may bicker quite a bit but I think Elijah coined the phrase – Always and Forever."

"Well she feels like the sister I never had," Bonnie said. "We've become really close. The first week we got here it was a little crazy because we couldn't really all get along but then we got to know her better and now I'd do anything for her."

"That's what all of that was really about," he said. "I realize now that what was happening between you and I had nothing to do with what you were doing for Rebekah and Stefan – what you were hiding. I was so quick to believe Klaus – that you had been playing me."

"Why were you so quick to believe it?" she asked and he had to take a good long look inward.

"I was afraid to believe that you truly cared for me," Kol confessed turning his gaze to the windows, "because if you truly cared for me then I had something to lose – something that I didn't want to do without…"

"So you're going to shut me out because you don't want to lose me?"

"No!" He sat up and was inches from her. "I don't ever want to let you go Bonnie." He closed the distance then and kissed her. It was a sweet kiss – soft and tender – full of feeling. Her arms snaked around his neck and his hand found its way to the small of her back. He lay back against the pillows again and this time she came with him as they were still kissing. When their lips parted their gazes held. Finally Bonnie yawned.

"I'm sorry…the human is sleepy…" Kol smiled at such a sweet sentiment. Sometimes it was the little things. She shifted to a sitting position again and he regarded her.

"Do you have a guest room here?" she asked.

"You can stay right here with me," Kol offered hopefully.

"Not all of the hurt is gone yet Kol…you really hurt me." His face fell with her words.

"I'd really like it best if you'd sleep here in my room," he began and before she could speak her objection he added, "I'll sleep in Klaus' room here. Sleep well my love." He walked to the door.

"Kol" she stopped him and he glanced back to her.

"Be here when I wake…"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Bonnie inhaled before she even opened her eyes. The now familiar smell of Kol Mikaelson greeted her – his shampoo, his soap, his cologne which smelled suspiciously like her favorite. She opened her eyes and smiled at the navy and white stripes. There was something a little wicked about waking up in a bedroom that wasn't yours she decided. Her gaze shifted and she found him sitting in the chair in the corner of his room.

"Good morning little witch."

"Good morning Kol," she smiled sweetly at him. "You're here…"

"You asked," he said gently and then couldn't help but quip, "and it is my bedroom. Technically you're the guest but a very welcome one." Bonnie stretched and inhaled deeply.

"Come downstairs as soon as you're ready," Kol said as he rose. He came to lean over Bonnie still on the bed and with a tender smile he leaned down and kissed her. Then he left the room so she could get ready for the day.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

When Elena came downstairs to what she was beginning to feel was more her home than Rebekah's she was surprised to find that not only was coffee ready but there were delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Kol was flipping things on the stove while a variety of serving pans had steam escaping their covers.

"Good morning Kol," Elena greeted with a soft smile as she reached for two mugs and began to make coffee.

"Good morning love," Kol smiled. "Sleep good?" Elena presented what passed for a blush.

"Yes, thank you. You?"

"I slept very well thank you."

"This smells amazing. What are you making?"

"I thought we might have a fry-up," Kol smiled. Something upstairs got his attention and he looked to the ceiling before turning his attention back to cooking some kind of sausages.

"You're making her breakfast…" Elena smiled as she realized it. "That's so sweet."

"Elena Gilbert do you forget I could have your head in a second? I'm the psychotic one remember?" Kol asked though his slight smile belied his words. "You think she'll like it? I'm working on an apology."

"With breakfast? Bonnie loves breakfast. If it was Caroline you'd be out of luck but BonBon and I always start our Saturday mornings together with breakfast. I don't think I've ever had anything like this though!"

"Kol are you using every dish in the kitchen?" Elijah asked as he appeared immaculate in one of his suits. He took the coffee that Elena offered him and dropped a kiss on her lips before taking the chair next to her at the breakfast bar.

"What's a fry-up?" Elena whispered to Elijah though of course she needn't have bothered.

"It's a traditional English breakfast – bacon, eggs, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, toast, baked beans, sausages and hash browns," Elijah explained.

"Wow" Elena marveled. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Bonnie appeared wearing a pair of Elena's shorts and a mint green dolman sleeve top.

"Morning Elijah, Elena. Wow this smells fantastic. Wait – did you cook all this?" Bonnie looked to Kol.

"I thought you should have a good breakfast after such a rough night," Kol smiled.

"I'm impressed," Bonnie said as she watched him place the last of the eggs into their serving dish. Everyone pitched in and moved things to the table then.

"Okay, show me how it's done," Elena requested and Bonnie nodded. Elijah and Kol smiled as they fixed plates for the women in their lives. Bonnie was amazed to find her plate consisted of fried green tomato, baked beans, a sausage patty, some sautéed mushrooms with onions, a slice of toast and a wedge of hashbrowns.

"I have never had baked beans for breakfast," Bonnie smiled.

"Try it before you knock it," Kol said as he began eating his own breakfast. Soon both girls were devouring their breakfasts.

"This is incredible Kol," Bonnie smiled.

"Yes really fantastic," Elena agreed.

"Glad you liked it," Kol smiled. "Now you just need to talk Elijah into making his roast." Elena looked to Elijah expectantly.

"Feeling homesick for the old world?"

"No, just the food," Kol said. "I have everything I could possibly want right here." He finished with a glance to Bonnie who was devouring her breakfast.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Cafe Du Monde?" Kol asked Bonnie as they raced to the place. "I could have made the beignets for the others." He finished with a huff.

"Don't blame me!" She said while breathing harshly and bemoaning the fact that she should have run those mornings when Elena asked if she was busy. "They all love it and besides-I didn't even know you knew how to make them!"

Kol stopped and caught her before she fell over. Placing her on his back, he began running at near vampire speed.

"I can make most things but the real cook in the family is Elijah and his meals that he makes are delicious."

"Though Elena can't cook, she can bake the most amazing desserts in the world!" They finally got to the cafe and looked up when they heard lightning above them.

"Well," he said as he looked at the sky. "At least it isn't raining."

She wanted to glare at him but he was right.

It wasn't raining.

"Do you...do you think we should try dating again?" She asked out of the blue. She was hesitant about what his answer would be. Sure he had been coming to see her and he had asked her to come back to his place last night but what if her reluctance to rekindle their relationship last night had been enough to push him away?

"I would like that BonBon." Kol smiled feeling relieved that he hadn't lost her after all. He had missed their closeness – the feel of her in his arms, the banter and the taste of her lips. He had missed everything about her and now he was going to get a second chance. They smiled at each other and managed to get five dozen beignets for everyone else for breakfast.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	17. Chapter 17

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

 _The Beach on Bourbon_ was an outdoor club whose employees wore two different style uniforms-those who dress in butt shorts and those who dress in skinny jeans.

Caroline sighed as she took in her surroundings feeling a little like a spare at the party. Bonnie was on the dance floor grinding up on her Original lover while Elena was with Elijah in his bedroom at his townhouse. Caroline shook her head at how mentally disturbing that thought was! Both were like siblings to her and she didn't need to hear about their sex life!

Elena, on the other hand, couldn't stop glowing like the sun whenever she would return home in the wee hours of the morning and Stefan had to look away from her with a reddened face. Caroline had been dumbfounded until she saw a memory that Elena was unconsciously sending to those in the house that had Caroline needing the coldest shower known to man as she was blushing like a virgin bride.

Needing to wind down, she opted for this trip with her friends that was now a downer. Only Bonnie showed and with her were Klaus and Kol. If this was her witch best friend's idea of a matchmaking thing she had going on, then it sucked.

Caroline glanced over to see Klaus doing a double shot of something out of that brunette bitch's mouth. Smirking, she found the nearest girl and compelled her.

"You want me to take over your shift so you can have a break." As the girl repeated those words, she handed her the wooden tray with the shots on it. Looking around, she spotted her target which was a group of eight-three men and five women and four of the people were drunk as hell as one of them had their Jesters cup in her hand and singing some Flo Rider song about apple bottom jeans.

Walking up to them, she picked the two guys and didn't need to compel them to do double shots out of her mouth. Klaus, who had looked at her and what she was doing, felt anger and jealousy rolling into one as one of the men grabbed her and kissed her cheek. If Caroline meant nothing to him then why was this bothering him?

Klaus was seeing red as the guy kissed Caroline's cheek and his lips lingered on them a little bit longer than he liked. He made his way over to her and pulled her out of the club and over to an empty alleyway where he let loose.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT CAROLINE!" She stood her ground and glared at him.

"If you're allowed to have a good time," she growled at him. "Then so am I Klaus!" She leveled a cold stare. "All I did was give him a shot! He did everything else and besides, I saw you taking those shots out of that cocktail waitress' mouth!" The thunderstorm that the weatherman predicted happened as lightning was heard around them and their clothes were being soaked due to the hot rain falling on them.

"The only reason I did that was to try and get over you but I can't!" He shouted at her. "After everything that happened, every emotion that I felt for you, _you lied to me about why you're really here!"_

 _"NOT ALL OF IT WAS A LIE KLAUS!"_ She stormed out. "It's true that I lied! I did it for Rebekah and Stefan but I do have feelings for you and I do want to see where we end up!" Time seemed to move slowly before suddenly they started kissing each other and as they tried to get closer to one another, they stopped and she smiled warmly at him.

"Do you want to try this out again?" He grinned wolfishly at her.

"Now why would you ask such a dumb question love? Of course I would."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Damon was on his way to Denver just as Stefan predicted. After Stefan had said that he 'didn't see the girls there'. Jeremy's phone call had been the real turning point though. Something about it had told Damon this merited investigation so he had boarded a flight from Paris and was now on his way to Denver. Honestly he had doubted that his brother was really looking for the girls, especially after Damon and Elena's nasty breakup in which Damon alluded to Elena being a whore like Katherine when _Elijah_ came to pay her a visit. He knew full well that he was past her forgiveness - maybe he had been from the start but it didn't matter he thought as his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides.

 _They were meant to be together_.

Didn't she see that? She was his everything-next to his bourbon.

He had tried calling his brother before his flight started but he didn't answer. Pushing that frustrating thought aside Damon realized he had spent far too many hours on a plane without entertainment or even a decent bite to eat. Now, as he looked at the leggy, red headed, stewardess who was passing by, he grinned and compelled her to follow him into the restroom where he introduced her to the _benefits_ of the Mile High Club and getting blood taken out of her.

Once he was done with her, he compelled her to forget what had just happened and smirked when forty minutes later; they descended and were in Denver.

Calling his brother again, he was surprised to hear a female voice answer the phone. He knew at once it wasn't Elena but the voice was still familiar. It took a moment for him to place it – Rebekah – and he just so happened to know where the originals were supposed to be living these days.

"Hello?" Rebekah asked again. Without responding Damon hung up and took another flight-this time to New Orleans. He had some people he needed to talk to-his _brother_ Stefan and _his girlfriend Elena_ being the two prominent ones.

VVVVVVVVVVVVV

As soon as he entered New Orleans, he went straight to the AC Marriot Hotel and compelled himself a room where he left his things before walking out and leaving the hotel to go onto Bourbon Street. He was pacing himself and as he passed The Beach on Bourbon, he decided his jet lag deserved a drink before he confronted Stefan and Elena. He entered the bar and took a seat promptly ordering a bourbon. As he took the first sip of his drink he surveyed his surroundings and was completely shocked when he saw none other than Kol Mikaelson looking like something out of a music video with a dark haired beauty in gorgeous white dress. He was disappointed to note she had shorts underneath as the original flipped her to the delight of the other dancers. When he saw her face Damon reeled as he would recognize Bonnie Bennett anywhere! What was she doing dancing with psychotic original?

Damon flashed over to them and pulled Bonnie away from the Original.

"Hello Bon Bon." He sneered at the intoxicated witch with such loathing that she looked up at him in horror but before anything could be said or done, Kol took her back in his arms and they left, Damon following them.

Once they left the club, Damon began to snarl at her.

"So you leave _everyone behind_ while you come here to start screwing the Original jackass?" He was stark raving mad at how obtuse this all was. "The Bonnie I remembered wouldn't _even allow_ him to touch you!"

"Things change Damon," she snapped as she felt braver after her four daiquiris that she had ingested in the course of two hours. "I've changed and believe me, it took him and I a long time to get to this point in our relationship." Bonnie had tucked her hand in Kol's. Damon jerked her free again and pulled her into an alley putting her back against the wall and pinning her there with a hand on either side of her shoulders.

"Really?" he asked. She nodded and Damon bared his fangs at her. "You and Elena must have been taught by both Katherine and Caroline about being whores." Silence filtered through the two while Damon was on a tangent about how screwed up everyone is when he was suddenly slammed against the opposite wall of the alley. He should have known better than to have said that about Elena and Bonnie as Kol was looking at the vampire murderously.

"If I were you, I'd watch out." Kol's voice was deathly cold. "Next time I hear you talking about my sister like that and you will end up dead. _UNDERSTAND ME!"_ The last words he yelled out and Damon sneered at him.

"I didn't even start on your original whore of a sister who has had I think every male vampire in history."

"Kol don't!" Bonnie's plea stilled Kol's hand but his murderous rage never left his face and he continued to glare at Damon. Finally Kol decided to think like his older brother and use his words. He relaxed and released Damon wrapping his arm tenderly around Bonnie and then giving her a tender kiss as Damon watched in shock.

"No, the sister I was referring to was Elena," Kol said. "I think of her as my sister as I'm sure she and Caroline very soon will be. Now if you'll excuse us I'm going to get my girlfriend back home. Oh and Damon...this is our city please be on your best behavior." With his arm around Bonnie's shoulders the two left the black-haired vampire confused and screaming mad in their wake.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The two were definitely sober the second they entered Elijah's townhouse and as they saw the man just sitting in his oversized club chair with Elena on his lap and they were reading the same book. Elijah brought his head up from where it was on her collarbone.

"What happened?" Elijah asked and Elena looked up at them, seeing how angry they were.

"I thought you were clubbing?" she knew that they had said something along those lines and had expected them to be home later-maybe three or four in the morning, not at eleven at night. Kol nodded and sat Bonnie down on the couch while he began pacing.

"Damon Salvatore is here in New Orleans."

Elena felt numb as she subconsciously went into the last argument that they had…

 _"_ _What do you want me to say Damon? That Elijah and I are secretly sleeping with each other?" she shouted at him. "Guess what? He and I are friends!"_

 _"_ _I don't believe it!" He roared at her. "I doubt that he would come all the way to Mystic Falls to see how his_ friend _is doing without any ulterior motives!"_

 _"_ _Damon! He's my friend and has been helping me deal with what I did to Katherine! Do you think I liked killing her? I hated it! He doesn't want me to lose what makes me who I am!" She screamed at him._

 _He snorted and angrily took a drink of his bourbon before he snarled._

 _"_ _You and Katherine are truly related! Both of you are sluts!"_

 _Elena slapped him with her vampire strength and flashed away._

Kol and Elijah were staring at her as she looked close to tears when Elijah turned her around in his arms and kissed her lightly.

"Thinking of the last time you saw him?" Elijah asked gently.

"He insinuated I was behaving like Katherine."

"You and Katerina are related but you are nothing alike." Elijah told her as he peppered her face in kisses.

"I agree with Elijah." The three looked at Kol who looked back at them. "What? I'm being honest! She's not like that!" Elena smiled at him.

"I guess that I should tell Stefan that Damon's in town." Bonnie shook her head.

"No, I'll do it. You stay here." Elena gave her friend a small smile. "Trust me, knowing how he'll react to this-it's best if I tell him that Damon's here and is insinuating that Caroline and Rebekah are teaching us how to be sluts."

Snorting, she kissed Kol on the cheek and left to call Stefan.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	18. Chapter 18

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Damon finally made it to Rebekah's townhouse the next morning. Stefan imagined he had let off steam with some drunken debauchery somewhere in the city that always parties. He regarded his older brother with disdain.

"Bonnie called me and told me about what happened last night," he looked over at his big brother sadly. "Why Damon? Why say those things?"

"Oh sure," Damon drawled. "Take their side." He looked at Stefan and glared. "They're the ones who did this! I'm tired of coddling them and smothering them! They need to know that the world isn't all black and white and good and bad."

"They already know!" Stefan had to keep his anger in check but it was boiling up to the surface. "Damon-just because they cut all ties to everyone in Mystic Falls doesn't mean that they're here to just use people!"

"I'd believe that if it was true but really? Bonnie with Kol?" He wasn't amused and he took off only to run into two of the three Original brothers.

"Hey Elijah, Kol." Damon looked hatefully at them. "How's life treating you? Poorly?" He mocked. Elijah had to count backwards from ten to one but it took several languages before he had his temper back under control.

"Now how did I know that you'd be with _him_?" Elijah opened his eyes and saw Elena right beside him.

"He and I are now _officially_ together Damon." She looked at them and Elijah knew what she wanted to do.

Looking at Kol, he began to speak in old Norse.

"Hún vill að hreinsa loftið með honum Kol. Við getum samt vera nálægt en að minnsta kosti þykjast vera að gera eitthvað til að gefa henni næði að hún þarf."

"Fine Elía en ef hann segir eitt um hana, Bonnie, Caroline og Rebekku aftur-Ég skal drepa hann," Kol replied and Elijah smiled as he heard his brother speak the old language.

"Ég mun hjálpa þér."

Kissing Elena deeply, they walked over and called certain people to tell them about their 'uninvited guest'. Elena smiled at him and turned her attention to Damon.

"Elijah and I are dating and no," she looked into his eyes. "He and I started dating just a few weeks ago and there was no cheating involved."

"But why him Elena?" he sounded crueler now. "You think his feelings for you are real - the Original who banged everyone wearing your face. You believe that he loves you?"

"Didn't you cheat on me while we were together twice?" She snapped, feeling angry at him. "Didn't you cheat on me with four girls all from my old college?" Her look told him that she clearly did remember catching him each time.

"That's beside the point Elena!" He had wanted to scream but he didn't. He did, after all, have a sense of propriety. "They meant nothing to me."

"The hell they did!" she yelled at him softly. "You told one of them that you would rather be with her than me! While I was there! Remember that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Elena, you're still young and it's okay for you to throw-" he began in a patronizing tone but couldn't finish what he was saying when she slapped him.

"I'm tired of your excuses Damon! I am tired of them!" Tears fell and he knew what was coming. "We're not going to be together anymore and I doubt that we'd ever be friends again." Turning away from him, she began walking towards Elijah when Damon said something incredibly stupid.

"You really _are_ Katherine 2.0."

"You arrogant young fool," Elijah had him pinned against the brick exterior of the courtyard before Damon could fully comprehend what had happened. "Do you know what has kept your sorry life in continued existence these last couple of years despite the fact that you have tried to undermine, double-cross and kill off my family at every turn? It has been the love that Elena has for you. Long after our deal was void her loyalty to my family meant that I was willing to try and protect those that she loved - all of them - even the completely reckless wankers like you!" Elijah closed his eyes a moment trying to pull back his rage. His veins were threatening to show in broad daylight.

"You don't deserve to breathe the same air as her. Elena has a better understanding of the important things in this world in her eighteen years of existence than you have in 167! She has overlooked your many indiscretions because she has the most beautiful heart. Let me remind you of the ones that I am aware of. You brutally tortured and used her best friend Caroline just to spite your own brother. You killed her brother in front of her! At every turn you undermine her choices and yet..." he took a deep breath to rein his anger back in. He had not allowed himself to be this uncontrolled in a century or more. This was usually Klaus' forte.

"…and yet she forgives you because Elena's greatest gift is her compassion. It seems to be endless and she bestows it even on those of us who do not rightly deserve it. I warned you once Damon that if you ever truly betrayed her that she would never forgive you...and never, for a vampire, is a long time. You would do well to avoid my presence for a while but if she gives you another chance - even after all these transgressions I would advise you to heed my advice." His eyes became murderous once more.

"If she doesn't then let me make myself perfectly clear...Elena is a Mikaelson as far as I am concerned. She is family and Mikaelsons protect our own."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	19. Chapter 19

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Elijah and Kol had decided they wanted to give Rebekah a nursery as a gift so they got Stefan in on the plan and soon they were hauling furniture in from a nursery design that Rebekah had fallen in love with decades ago in London and cried over for a week.

"How did you..." Rebekah couldn't even get all the words out as she was crying happy tears.

"Kol remembered it actually," Elijah said and Rebekah gave Kol an awkward hug as she was now twenty-four weeks along and starting to get big. While Stefan, Elijah and Kol were working on assembling the nursery as Rebekah pointed out where she wanted things to go Caroline, Elena and Bonnie had decided they were going to go sightseeing. Bonnie and Elena very much wanted to see a historic plantation - Oak Alley. They were just a ways outside the city on back roads when suddenly they skidded as they had a flat tire.

"Of all the luck," Elena sighed as they stared at the flat tire. As they looked around they noticed that they were essentially in the middle or nowhere on a levee road. They hadn't passed another soul for a while and there was levee on one side and what looked like bayou on the other. It wasn't likely any assistance would be coming not that they really needed it. They hefted out the spare and were beginning to change it when suddenly a wolf jumped onto Caroline.

Frantically Elena and Bonnie tried to get it off. Suddenly they were overrun by more. Elena and Caroline cried out as they were bit and though Bonnie tried to fight them off she soon also felt teeth tearing her flesh. By the time the wolf pack retreated Caroline, Elena and Bonnie were lying in blood beside their car.

Bonnie managed to get Caroline's phone from her pocket and dialed Kol's number.

"Caroline?"

"Kol...flat tire...wolves..." she said before she slipped from consciousness and the phone slipped to the ground before the rest of her fell over after it.

"Bonnie? Bonnie!" Kol worried and now Stefan, Elijah and Rebekah were tuned into the conversation. Kol looked at the screen of his phone and realized he'd lost the call.

"The girls had a flat tire and then she got one other word out – wolves. I think they've been attacked," Kol worried. Elijah's face went pale. He grabbed Rebekah and kissed her quickly on the forehead.

"Forgive us sister but we have to go."

"Find them Elijah," Rebekah worried.

"I'm coming too," Stefan said reaching for his jacket. Kol stopped him.

"No, if this is some sort of intended attack on the family you'd leave Rebekah vulnerable. Please stay here Stefan. I promise you we'll get them back safely or die trying." With that Kol and Elijah ran from the house.

"They took my car," Elijah said. "Turn the locator on. I'm sure the GPS is still active." They hopped in Kol's SUV. Elijah pulled out his phone.

"Klaus we think the girls may have been bitten by wolves," Elijah announced without preamble.

"I'm coming over," Klaus growled.

"No we're almost at your place," Elijah said. A moment later Kol pulled up and Klaus got in.

"Where are they?" he growled.

"We've got the locator turned on for my car. They were going up plantation road to see Oak Alley," Elijah said. As soon as Kol left the city limits he revved the engine and they sped towards the location Elijah's BMW was broadcasting. By the time they arrived it was nearly dusk. The car doors and trunk were open and Kol raced from the SUV followed by his brothers.

Their senses quickly told them that there weren't any wolves in the immediate area. They advanced on the car and found Elena and Caroline huddled together and feverish. It was obvious that they had each been bitten a couple of times.

"Where's Bonnie?" Kol worried. He searched the car and didn't find her. Then he searched the area and didn't find her. Elijah lifted Elena into his arms and that was when Kol smelled her, Bonnie. He could smell her blood and lots of it. He became almost savage with worry. Racing back to the car he followed the smell and as he dropped to his hands and knees he found Bonnie.

"She's under the car!" Kol exclaimed. Klaus helped him reach under and they brought Bonnie forth. Her neck was bleeding as well as her arms and one leg. She had bites all over her body. Kol's face immediately began to change with his growing rage.

"Her heartbeat is faint Kol," Elijah pointed out. "She needs blood!" Kol opened his wrist and began to encourage Bonnie to take the blood. Meanwhile Elena was curled against Elijah's shoulder where he was holding her.

"Klaus I'm begging you," Elijah groveled. "Please…I can't do without her." Klaus was already feeding Caroline while he cradled her against him on the hood of Elijah's car. He looked at his brother's desperation a moment and then opened his other wrist holding it against Elena's mouth while Elijah encouraged her to drink.

"When I find who almost cost us all this," Klaus growled as he looked at each of their loves, "I am going to rip them to shreds!"

They loaded the girls into the SUV and Klaus walked towards Elijah's car.

"Elijah if there's any change - if they take a turn - there's a vial of my blood in your wine room. It's labeled vintage Klaus," Klaus grinned and then he hugged his brother close. It had been a long time since Klaus had done anything like that but Elijah wondered if he was beginning to see a change in his brother.

Klaus took Elijah's car while Elijah and Kol took the girls back to their townhouse for recuperation. Elijah felt bad for whoever was responsible when Klaus found them.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Once they arrived back at the townhouse Kol grabbed Caroline from the back seat cradling her against him.

"Bonnie?" she managed to get out though she was still a little feverish.

"She's going to be fine," Kol said as he carried her into the townhouse, "and so are you." He settled Caroline on a couch and covered her with a blanket while Elijah settled in the club chair with Elena. Finally he got Bonnie out and as he brought her in he locked the door. Elijah pushed the button on the home automation system and the windows and doors all locked and the alarm system was activated.

He settled on the other couch with her – holding her closely against him as she was still unconscious.

"Elijah!" Elena bolted upright in his arms.

"She's hallucinating," Elijah sighed as he held her against him. She fought him for a moment and then she calmed again. They sat quietly for about a half hour and then Elijah gasped as Elena bit him.

"Are you okay?" Kol worried. Then he noticed what Elena was doing. "Nevermind."

"She doesn't know what she's doing," Elijah groaned. Caroline was the next one to wake about a half hour later. Elena was finally sleeping peacefully in Elijah's arms.

"Where am I?" Caroline asked groggily as she sat up.

"You're at our place," Kol said. "How do you feel love?"

"Better but really thirsty," she said. Elijah cradled a sleeping Elena in his arms and walked to the kitchen he returned and handed Caroline two blood bags.

"Thank you," she smiled at him as he settled back into the chair with Elena. "How are they?"

"Bonnie hasn't regained consciousness yet but Elena is sleeping peacefully now. I believe she's out of danger."

"I'm so glad you found us," Caroline said. "How did you find us?"

"Bonnie managed a short call," Kol smiled, "and our vehicles all have locators."

An hour later Caroline and Elena were both asleep when Kol finally felt Bonnie stirring in his arms. She moaned gently and her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was his smiling face.

"I love you," were the first words out of her mouth and Kol's heart soared.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	20. Chapter 20

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Klaus was at the site of the wolf attack on the girls and began sniffing, trying to see which wolf pack it was. Around the tires of the car, was where the scent was located. He knew that scent-it was the same scent that Hayley had a long time ago:

Cypress.

Every Crescent Wolf had that particular scent but he could smell that the wolves that had attacked her were male. The sounds of a wolf padding over to him had him spinning around and his eyes were wide. A wolf stood before him with cream and white fur and very expressive eyes. Hayley – it had to be Hayley. She had dared to come before him after what she had done and the punishment his family had dealt her.

She seemed sadder than he had ever seen before. Elijah's punishment on her must have broken her as he knew that she had feelings for his brother when he had dealt her this fate. Kneeling down to her, Klaus began to pet her and whisper.

"Do you want to help me find out who attacked three innocent people?"

Her growl was all the answer he needed.

They were going on a wolf hunt.

VVVVVVVVVVVVV

It was nightfall when he managed to make it through the swamp and into the Bayou where wolves were growling at the two. Hayley bared her teeth to the pack and helped Klaus slaughter around half of them when she yelped. Going over to her, he noticed that she was bleeding from her throat down to her stomach.

Cradling her in his arms, he flashed her away, in a vain attempt to help heal her but the fact was, as soon as they got to his car, she died.

"I hope you find peace Hayley Marshall."

In the wind, he heard her whisper softly, "I found my redemption and I will be back."

As he walked inside Elijah's townhouse he was grateful to see Elena and Bonnie curled up peacefully in the arms of his brothers. Caroline was sipping a blood bag and her smile lit the room as she saw him. Taking a chance he settled on the couch and his heart soared as she let him pull her onto his lap and she curled into his embrace. The three brothers sat there half the night holding the women they loved – each realizing how close they had come to losing them.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Elijah stared at the bottle of Bourbon he'd been infusing with wolf's bane for a week. Elena had made her desire to have a child more than clear as he'd watched her help his sister with her pregnancy. He opened the decanter and poured a glass. Elena was going to make a wonderful mother. He had decided there was no time like the present and no one that he would rather have a child with than her. He loved her and the thought that they could have a family together thrilled him – a chance to carry on the Mikaelson blood line. The Bourbon tasted a little off as he took the first swallow so he knew the wolf's bane had definitely infused. He swallowed the rest of the glass down just to be sure he'd have enough in his system.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	21. Chapter 21

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

He watched her as she slept the early morning sunshine making her look angelic - smiling as he realized their child was already growing within her thanks to the powerful spell. He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and her eyes fluttered open. Elijah leaned down and kissed her rosy-hued lips. She smiled back at him and then stared at him.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" She asked as she was just about to stretch.

"Is a man not allowed to smile at the mother of his child in such a manner?" He became a little worried as her face froze in shock.

"What did you just say?" she whispered the words.

"You're pregnant lovely." She turned into him and stared into his glowing eyes.

"Elijah..." She wanted to say that it was probably a beautiful dream that he had when he shook his head.

"I said you're pregnant - only since last night so just a little bit but carrying my child all the same." Her face lit with delight and she bolted upright in bed. Her lips met with his and then she hugged him.

"Elijah you don't know what this means to me..."

"I think I do," he said gently as he stroked her hair.

"Elijah I love you."

"I love you Elena. You're happy then?"

"There is nothing anyone else could give me that would mean more or make me happier than this," Elena said and her hand subconsciously lay on her flat abdomen where deep within their child lay.

"I love you so much Elijah." She said softly into his skin and even a sand blaster wouldn't be able to get the smile off her face from his reply.

"I love you so much more my Lovely Elena."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

It was such a beautiful morning despite being early November that everyone in Rebekah's house that happened to be invited in and also were male were getting everything ready for the 'fabulous' baby shower that Caroline was throwing.

Elena had wanted to help by doing some of the decorations but as Rebekah, Stefan, Elijah and Caroline had put their feet down on it, she baked them chocolate macaroons and many other sweet and chocolate treats that she was pigging out on with Rebekah.

"Are you sure that you're going to be alright?" Elijah asked Elena one more time before he left to change out of his suit and into a fresh one that wasn't covered in pink glitter.

"Yes," Elena told him warmly as she pulled him down to her and kissed him as deeply as she could. Apparently, Elena just craved chocolate and anything sweet during her pregnancy as well as Elijah. "I promise that I'll be fine and I won't leave the couch."

He nodded and kissed her again before placing his hands on her abdomen where their baby was. Smiling at her, he straightened up and left with Kol, Stefan and Klaus following behind him.

Bonnie shook her head and began to magically lift three banners while Caroline was getting the plates covered in many of the chocolates and sweets from Sucré that she had the guys go and buy for them. There were also Caroline's famous deviled eggs and Bonnie's awesome salads and sandwiches in between Kol's beignets that were lightly coated in powdered sugar. Everything was set. Caroline decided to start the gifting and had given Rebekah a basket filled with cute baby things.

"This dress…and these pants…oh my god! She has baby versions of all of my clothes!" Rebekah ended up crying and hugging Caroline while admiring all of them. Elena giggled and handed her a box.

"It's nothing bad." She said when Bonnie looked a bit worried. "This is a gift from Auntie Elena and Uncle Elijah." She added. Tearing into it, Rebekah's tears were non-stop. There were a few picture frames filled with pictures of the whole family back in 1919 and during the ball that the family had a while ago. There were also photo albums that said 'baby's first photo book' and three pink leather jackets.

"He picked out the books-I picked out the jackets." Elena had a cheeky grin reminiscent of Kol's but her eyes were as bright as Elijah's when he shows his emotions.

"They're beautiful!" She was holding her pregnant sister to be and suddenly, Elena's hormones got the better of her and she began crying as well. Bonnie was staring at them before looking at Caroline who mouthed, "hormones."

Bonnie nodded and handed Rebekah another basket filled with more clothes and a few witchy talismans for the baby to choose from. Rebekah was still crying as she was holding up a homemade dream catcher.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Yes... I understand that the place needs much work done...thank you Charles for this great news." Klaus said before hanging up and smirking at the men who were in his house. "Bekah has that building."

Elijah nodded and was slumped in the club chair that Klaus had with a tumbler filled halfway with bourbon while they played poker with Kol and Stefan.

"She loves that place." Kol said smirking at them before his smirk looked devilish. "Though poor Stefan having to live with two females...it'll be hard."

"Just because he makes girls does not mean anything." Elijah got out as he wondered what his baby would be.

"I agree Kol," Klaus said as he began to dial Caroline's number. "I agree. He will have it rough."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The phone rang at the baby shower and Caroline answered it before placing it on speaker.

"I decided that since we have a niece on the way," Klaus' voice was soft and filled with brotherly concern. "That one thing that you wanted when we lived here many years ago is yours." Silence reigned a moment before the crying commenced anew.

"Thank you Nik!" she cried. Panic rose within him.

"Oh god! Are you hurt?" he was scared. Caroline decided to soothe his nerves.

"No-as Bekah's pregnant with Kayleigh Stefine-" she got out when Kol spoke.

"Stefine!" They all could hear the laughter bubbling forth. The sound of a neck snapping was heard and Klaus murmured, "bloody idiot."

"Yeah-Bekah's hormones are going crazy as are Elena's. They're just crying and its happy tears." His sigh was audible.

"Thank you." Hanging up, all the girls were looking at Rebekah who was smiling.

"There was this beautiful little place in the Quarter that's now abandoned; he bought it for me so I can use it for our blooming business Caroline."

Caroline smiled as she knew what 'blooming business' that Bekah was talking about.

A fashion line.

VVVVVVVVVVVV

It was later that night as Stefan was about to go to sleep when the phone rang. Sighing, he answered it which turned out to be a horrible idea.

"Stefine? Are you there?" Kol worried.

"Kol-just stop. Please."

"But I love you Stefine!"

"It was funny the first time-now, _now_ it's just annoying!" Stefan shouted into the phone before hanging up on him!

"Just so you know," Rebekah smiled as she curled into him as best she could. "I love you-Stefine." He sighed and just bemoaned the fact that his life was now going to be filled with crazy relatives. There was something about Rebekah and Kol. If they got on the same team about something heaven help any opposition. Rebekah kissed him with a sweet smile and Stefan smiled back before settling once more for sleep.

The second his eyes closed, his phone rang again and Rebekah answered it.

"Yes Kol?" Kol ended up scoffing.

"That's all you have to say Bekah? I wanted to talk to Stefine again."

"Stefine's busy at the moment." She said as she smiled, rubbing her belly and smiling at it. "Why don't you bother Nik or someone?"

"Cause me and Stefine are friends!"

"Really? Kol, please stop teasing Stefan." Her voice was laced with sadness as she spoke. It was easy to make sure that her brothers-either older or younger-bend to her will. "Please stop teasing Stefan! If you must tease someone then tease Nik!" She heard him sigh and groan.

"Fine, I'll stop teasing Stefan to a point. Goodnight sister."

"Goodnight brother."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	22. Chapter 22

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"This has got to be the worst thunderstorm since we moved back here," Rebekah commented.

"That rain is ice cold too," Stefan said. "Of course it's January so I hope it doesn't turn into actual ice. The weatherman swears the temperature isn't supposed to drop that low but that probably means we'll wake up to two inches of ice!" Stefan scoffed as he took off his grey pea coat and hung it up. "Here's the AB positive you wanted."

"Thank you and I'm so sorry," Rebekah kissed Stefan.

Three hours later – a little after midnight – she had Stefan wide awake. The pains that had been subtle at first had gotten stronger. It still wasn't enough to cause her even any real discomfort but Rebekah had been training herself to pay attention to these minor pains so she would know.

"Stefan I'm having the baby," she said as he sat up beside her.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm certain Stefan. This is it. You need to call the others." She squeezed his hand. Stefan was on the phone a moment later.

"Elijah I'm sorry to disturb you but Rebekah says it's time," Stefan said before he hung up. In less than ten minutes Elijah, Elena, Kol and Bonnie had arrived all putting up umbrellas and hanging up their uber-stylish wool coats despite the fact that Bonnie's the only one that could get cold. Twenty minutes after that Caroline and Klaus made it.

Two hours into her labor which thankfully wasn't that painful for a vampire and the lights went out. Klaus and Caroline were sterilizing instruments in the kitchen, Kol had been getting out the sterilized towels Elijah wanted and Bonnie was just returning to the bedroom when they were all plunged into darkness. Elena was next to Elijah on the bed ready to offer any assistance that she could.

Bonnie closed her eyes and concentrated a moment. All of the candles throughout the house lit and Kol smiled. They brought extra candles into the bedroom as well as flashlights so Elijah would have something to work by.

"Okay Bekah, it's time for you to start pushing now. Human level pushes okay? Concentrate on being delicate…"

"I'm always delicate!" Rebekah growled. Her nerves were beginning to get the better of her and she was just ready for the baby to be here already. Elijah just smiled patiently.

"You're almost there Rebekah."

Twenty minutes later Elijah marveled as his niece slipped the rest of the way into his hands. She was bald as all blonde babies are but it was her coloring that alarmed him. Rebekah noticed faster than he would have liked.

"She's not crying…Elijah…why isn't she crying? Elijah _do_ something!" his sister's panic was rising. Calmly Elijah checked the newborn's mouth and then gripped the baby by the ankles and holding her completely upside down he spanked her back a couple of times while the rest of the family watched in nervous anticipation.

Almost immediately the baby girl began to grow pink and pretty while a horrible wail came forth. Stefan hugged Rebekah who was crying in relief. Elijah wrapped the baby while Stefan cut the cord and then Elijah brought the baby to Rebekah. He sat down carefully next to her.

"She's very fragile Rebekah. You have to remember to support the head at all times. Babies can be injured very easily," he cautioned.

"Can you give her to Stefan?" Rebekah asked. Elijah nodded and passed the baby carefully into Stefan's waiting arms where he positioned her in front of her mother. Rebekah smiled with satisfaction that no one had ever seen before.

"Hello Kayleigh Stefine Mikaelson-Salvatore. Welcome to the world."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

A week later Stefan was rather surprised to see Damon on his doorstep.

"I hear you're a father," Damon said. "I brought a gift." He held up the bag. Stefan invited Damon in knowing that Rebekah was back up to fighting form and no one was going to best her when it came to their daughter.

"Rebekah, Damon's here to see the baby," Stefan said. Rebekah appeared a moment later and she was carrying her blanket-clad daughter in her arm. Stefan watched as Damon's face took on a look of wonder.

"She's beautiful," Damon smiled sincerely. He handed the gift bag to Stefan and stepped closer to admire the baby. "I can't believe you have a daughter…that the Salvatore line will continue."

"Would you like to hold her?" Rebekah offered and Stefan was surprised that she had done so. She prepared Damon's arms and then carefully settled his niece in them. "Make sure you support the head and be very careful with her." Damon stared down at the cherubic little face of his niece. She truly was beautiful. He had never thought of his brother as having children when they were living and once they'd been turned it had become a non-thought. Now he was holding a Salvatore descendant.

"She's beautiful," he said again not realizing he was repeating himself as he gazed into the infant's blue eyes.

"Thank you," Rebekah smiled, "and thank-you for the gift; the gown is lovely – so much lace and the silver engraved rattle I will treasure for all time." Damon settled on the couch and played with his newborn niece while Stefan and Rebekah looked on.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	23. Chapter 23

**((A/N: Thank you for all of the continued support and reviews. They are greatly appreciated.))**

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Caroline smiled as Klaus paid for a private horse and carriage tour that was located near Cafe Du Monde. If she had known that they had this kind of tour, she wouldn't have said no to them when they first came to town.

"I didn't think that they had a tour like this!" Caroline told him with wonder shining through. "When Elena asked me if I wanted to do a couple of tours with her, I shouldn't have told her no." Now guilt was eating her on the inside.

"I'm sure that Elena didn't know that they had these tours." He said softly as he placed a kiss on the back of her hand. "You would have been talking to the person who you would have to buy tickets from." She nodded her head, blonde locks fluttering around her shoulders. He smiled at her and as he helped her enter the carriage, he got in beside her. The man who was going to be giving them the tour was around twenty years old and looked nervous about it.

"I'm sorry folks," he apologized. "It's my first solo ride and to be honest-me and the horse don't really get along so it's going to be a bumpy ride." Caroline didn't seem to mind one bit and as their guide was telling them about the history of the Quarter, Klaus saw Caroline soaking it up. He was the first one to feel the rain drops and had taken off his jacket to wrap around her, she locked eyes with him and it felt like the world faded away from them.

Once they ended the tour, he got down and helped her. Somehow, she slipped and fell right back into his arms.

"Tha-thanks..." She stuttered to him when Bonnie appeared and the two girls waved goodbye at the hybrid as he waved back to Caroline.

Maybe he still had a chance with her again.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"This ice cream is fantastic," Elena smiled as they left the shop and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"You think everything is fantastic these days," Bonnie grinned.

"Well it is," Elena smiled. She had just passed the four month mark and she was beginning to show.

"Don't look now – incoming," Bonnie said. Damon Salvatore spotted them through the crowd on the sidewalk and walked up to them.

"Elena, Bonnie"

"What are you still doing in New Orleans?" Bonnie asked.

"Haven't you heard? I live here now…Mystic Falls lost its appeal…" Damon said sarcastically while Bonnie glared at him.

"Have you been to see your niece yet?" Elena asked. "You do know you're an uncle now right?"

"I have actually seen her," Damon smiled. "She doesn't seem to take after Stefan much. What is wrong with you?" Damon frowned as he studied her. They were passing an alleyway and Damon forced Elena down it.

"Get your hands off her!" Bonnie cried out and she gave Damon an aneurysm. He released Elena and glared at Bonnie. He looked Elena over again and suddenly his eyes went wide.

"What has he done?" Damon asked incredulous. "What has he done to you Elena?" She frowned at him and then her hand went subconsciously to where her baby bump was just becoming visible.

"Oh you mean the fact that I'm pregnant," Elena said her face lighting up. "Isn't it fantastic? I'm so excited."

"Elena listen to yourself! Are you crazy? He's an original – a monster! You don't want to have a baby with him! This child will be a…" Damon was ranting at her while Elena's face was welling with tears. Bonnie decided to put a stop to his rant by giving him another aneurysm. Suddenly before Elena's eyes Damon snapped Bonnie's neck!


	24. Chapter 24

"NO!" Elena cried out in horror. Bonnie's body dropped lifeless to the cobblestones of the alley. Damon looked at her body for a moment and then his eyes softened.

"Elena…Elena I'm sorry…"

"I hate you!" Elena said dissolving into tears. He tried to pull her to him to comfort her but she hurtled him down the alleyway because she took him by surprise. He didn't try to come back. Suddenly alone in the alley Elena sank to her knees. Kol – she had to call Kol or Elijah. She pulled out her phone and called Kol. When he answered she was still sobbing.

"Elena? Elena what's wrong? Elena stay where you are…we're coming!" Kol said. Quickly they were following her scent from the ice cream shop where Elena had said they were going. Soon they picked up on her scent and when they heard her crying they hurried down the alleyway. They found her in total devastation on the ground beside Bonnie.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Elijah worried checking Elena over immediately.

"Damon…" Elena finally managed to get one word out amidst hysterical crying.

"She doesn't have a heartbeat!" Kol exclaimed where he had been checking Bonnie over, "there's no pulse! He killed her! Elijah he killed her!" Kol's face changed as his emotions overtook him and he was enraged. It took Elijah only a moment to confirm that Kol was correct. He had Elena in his arms by this time.

"Let's get them home," Elijah said solemnly.

"She will never forgive me for this," Kol said defeat dripping from every word. Elijah turned to look at his younger brother.

"Your blood?"

"She was practicing this morning and dropped a letter opener into her thigh. She would have needed quite a few stitches. I thought it would be harmless to fix it – to take care of her," Kol said obviously devastated as he cradled Bonnie in his arms.

"This wasn't your fault Kol and we'll help her see that. At least she's not completely gone," Elijah said. Elena had caught the conversation by then and her sobs came to a halt.

"She's in transition?" Elena asked – her face beginning to light with hope.

"Yes, it seems I sired a vampire," Kol sighed and kissed Bonnie's forehead.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Bonnie's eyes flew open as if she were waking from a nightmare. She bolted upright. She was relieved when she recognized the navy and white striped walls. The blinds were all down and closed on the French doors and windows – only the bedside lamp lit the room. Despite that Bonnie could see everything very clearly – too clearly.

Her hearing was almost overwhelmed as if she was at a rock concert or something but Kol's bedroom was quiet. A moment later the door opened and Kol appeared. He offered her a nervous smile.

"BonBon you're awake," he greeted.

"What the hell happened? I feel like I've been hit by a bus. Wait I was with Elena – is Elena okay?" Bonnie rushed in a panic.

"Elena's fine. She's just fine. She's in their room with Elijah. Before you ask the baby seems to be fine too." He just kept looking at her. It wasn't the way he usually looked at her it was a look of longing – almost as if…as if he was preparing to say goodbye.

"Kol, you're scaring me," Bonnie began to worry. She could feel her fear rising.

"Okay, okay," Kol hurried to her on the bed. "Bonnie I have to tell you something and I just don't know how."

"Tell me"

"Damon lost his temper with Elena, Bonnie and when you tried to protect her…he snapped your neck Bonnie."

"He killed me," Bonnie's features stilled with shock as Kol watched the emotion wash over her and take hold. He knew the feeling well – had been experiencing it ever since he had realized her heart wasn't beating as he gazed at her lifeless body in that alleyway. He sat there waiting for her brain to process the rest of it.

"I'm…this morning – your blood. I'm in transition?" Kol slowly closed his eyes before gazing at her again acknowledging her hypothesis with a look of defeat.

"I'm dead. My two options are staying dead or becoming a vampire…"

"Yes," Kol replied hoping to any deity that might actually hear him that she wasn't considering the former.

"Who knows?"

"Everyone, Elijah's put out a notice on Damon. He's to be delivered alive," Kol finished angrily.

"I want to see him," Bonnie said. "In the meantime I don't want to see Elena or Caroline, please. They would mean well but I just can't right now…" Kol nodded.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"I don't suppose Tylenol would help?" He shook his head.

"Then could you just get up here and hold me?" she asked hopefully. A small smile came to Kol's lips as her request was more than he had dared hope for. He settled on the bed and a moment later Bonnie laid atop his chest.

"I can hear your heart beating," she marveled.

"It's just slower…much slower."

"Kol…how long do I have to think about this?" she asked raising her head a little so her eyes locked with his.

"Well unfortunately original blood is more potent than regular vampire blood so probably only a few hours," Kol said gently.

"Thank you," Bonnie said. She laid her head back down on his chest and felt his arms come around her. A few minutes later the tears came as she began to mourn what she had lost – the choices that had been taken from her. He held her and rubbed her back to offer comfort.

Elena and Caroline both tried to visit her but Bonnie was adamant. She fell asleep against Kol for a while and then she wanted some tea. He was beginning to worry. She hadn't asked for blood yet and they were more than twelve hours into this. Was she really going to leave him? As he entered the kitchen Elena and Caroline could see the worry on his face.

"Has she even mentioned turning yet?" Elena asked.

"No"

"She's just being stubborn! I say put it in her tea and be done with it!" Caroline said angrily.

"Elijah would never allow that. He's a strong believer in the choice," Kol said.

"If it was Elena up there he'd be singing a different tune," Caroline scoffed.

"I don't think so," Elena said as they all watched the kettle on the stove.

VVVVVVVVVVV

Meanwhile Elijah slipped into Kol's room. Bonnie was curled up in the virtual darkness.

"Do you mind?" he asked gently.

"Elijah," Bonnie greeted. She sat up and motioned for him to join her. "Is Elena okay?"

"She's worried about you," Elijah said. "How are you doing?"

"I feel lost…"

"I would be surprised if you didn't," Elijah said. Bonnie looked surprised at his response. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"I was born a witch," Bonnie began, "and I didn't even know about that until I was in high school. My Grams taught me all about the relationship between vampires and witches…then Elena had to muddy everything up. Now here I am dead but for Kol's blood – in transition and my choices are death and becoming the one thing I was supposed to hate."

"I was born a warlock," Elijah said simply, "and yet I have been a vampire for centuries now. We all must play the hand that we are dealt Bonnie. Damon will have to answer for what he has done but you are in transition nonetheless."

"Elena never wanted to be a vampire," Bonnie began, "even though she was in love with Stefan…at least until she met you. Then I think if you had given her the choice her answer would have been different. I don't think even if she could go back to being human with no consequences that she would choose to do so." Elijah waited patiently sensing that she wasn't finished and he was really more of a sounding board.

"I think I'm in love with Kol…the once in a lifetime kind of love. This would just make it easier for him to love me."

"Kol has always had a thing for witches," Elijah said. "Has he asked you to change for him?"

"No"

"Then he would have been fine with you as a witch. Should you choose to turn I have no doubt that he will help you be the kind of vampire you want to be – whatever kind that is," Elijah said. The door opened then and Kol walked in.

"I'm sorry brother; am I interrupting?" he asked.

"No I was just keeping Bonnie company until you returned," Elijah said. He turned back to Bonnie, "it is something to think on." Then he left and Kol returned to his spot on the bed. Bonnie sat next to him as she gingerly sipped her tea. With the first sip she made a face.

"Oh I'm sorry," Kol frowned. "I forgot to tell you that any kind of food or drink will taste off right now. It's designed to get you to give into the desire for blood."

"It's an incentive," Bonnie frowned but she took another sip of her tea. When she had finished it Kol took the mug back to the kitchen.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

As he left the kitchen he saw Elijah reading in his study and no Elena in sight. There was no time like the present. Kol entered the study and flopped down in a chair.

"How's Bonnie doing?"

"She's napping again. I think she's beginning to grow weaker…" Kol worried. "Elijah, if she chooses to turn…I need a daylight ring."

"You want your ring?" Elijah asked.

"Yes. I can't imagine giving it to anyone else," Kol said confidently.

"I had it spelled earlier," Elijah confirmed nodding to where the match for Kol's Mikaelson crest ring sat on Elijah's desk. Kol picked it up and pocketed it.

"Thank you Elijah."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

An hour later Bonnie woke up her head laid against Kol's chest. She could hear his blood calling to her so loudly now. She could feel the strength leaving her body but the magic was still there. That was a comfort. She rose up and looked at Kol.

"Okay…I'm ready to do this now," she said, "on one condition…"

"Yes?"

"I want it to be your blood. Your blood started it and I want your blood to finish it," she said. Kol smiled tenderly.

"You're mine Bonnie Bennett, you know that right?" He took the ring out of his pocket. "In fact I have something for you." He slid it delicately onto her finger. She looked at it a moment and then grabbed his ring.

"They match – this is the Mikaelson crest"

"You are a Mikaelson now, my Bonnie." Kol said tenderly. "Are you ready?" She gave him a nod and he could see the fear in her eyes. "It's okay Bonnie. We'll do this together." He opened his wrist then and held it to her lips. She took a small hesitant sip and then pulled back. Kol pulled her against him to let her cry through the pain of her new fangs descending.

"Do you want some more?" he offered. Bonnie wanted to say no but the lingering blood in her mouth tasted so good and she found herself nodding. "Then take it." He settled back against the pillows and not wanting to see any hint of judgment – or heaven forbid – pity in his eyes she leaned in to his neck. She just thought about biting him and her body did the rest, her veins appeared and her fangs sank into his neck. He moaned and closed his eyes with the pleasure of her feeding.

He vowed silently that he would help her through this. He was going to make this okay for her if it took a hundred years.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Kol left Bonnie in the bedroom with her own thoughts. The house was still on lockdown though he was fairly certain she had no desire to go hunting human prey. He walked downstairs and immediately had everyone's attention. Elijah finished his phone call before Kol spoke.

"She fed," he announced simply and the emotions of the room were mixed from elation to relief.

"That was Klaus. We've found Damon," Elijah said. Wordlessly Kol grabbed his jacket.

"You two watch her. Don't let her out because if she does something she can't live with she might decide she doesn't want to," Kol said. He looked to Elijah then and the look that came onto both men's faces scared the women in the room. They walked out the door and were gone.


	25. Chapter 25

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The church was empty at this time of night and in this weather save one. Damon Salvatore was kneeled at the front of the church. Only the many prayer candles lit his vigil and the occasional bursts of lightening from outside. What had he done? Why was it that his drive for Elena always seemed to bring out the worst in him? Of course it also seemed to bring out the best.

He and Bonnie had always had a peculiar relationship but he'd had a healthy respect for her - perhaps because she could bring him to his knees almost effortlessly and few in this world could do that. She had helped him and his brother more times than he could count and she was devoted to Elena. Now she was gone - by his hands. He was the monster that he accused the Mikaelsons of being. He bowed his head.

"Forgive me Father for I have sinned..." The doors at the back of the church flew open and the candles blew out. Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah and Stefan strode up the aisle. Their faces were unforgiving. As Damon rose and turned to defend himself Klaus and Stefan secured his left arm with chains while Elijah and Rebekah secured his right. He looked at their faces searching for any emotions he might be able to prevail to but they were stoic - their faces immutable masks. Lightening illuminated the open entry again and Damon saw Kol striding towards them.

The youngest original had his well honed psychotic look on and Damon was worried. Again he searched the faces of the others hoping he might find some quarter but even his brother's face held a blank expression. Kol hauled off and punched Damon in the jaw and he heard the bones crack before they began to heal back. He heard the chains rattle as his body was slung backwards. The murderous rage on the original's face did not dissipate.

"I should rip your heart out where you stand," Kol growled lowly. He took a step back from Damon.

"Damon Salvatore you are being detained for the death of Bonnie Bennett. You will answer for your crimes," Kol said evenly. Then the five of them hauled him from the church - putting up a fight the whole way. They took him to Klaus' house and strung him up in the conservatory. The steel traps on his hands and feet insured that he would not completely heal as he struggled and the chains were doused in vervain. Also Klaus seemed to have several vervain plants in the conservatory.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

As soon as Klaus entered the townhouse, he saw how worried and nervous Caroline looked. Walking up to her, he wrapped his arms around her and just held her. She was trying hard not to cry but he whispered, "you don't need to be strong for anyone now."

Tears fell and she held onto him as she cried and he stroked her hair back. He didn't seem to care that his shirt was ruined, he just cared that his Caroline was releasing her sadness in his embrace.

"I hate Damon." She whimpered out. "I hate him! He killed Jeremy, Alaric and now Bonnie! _I HATE HIM!_ "

"I know that you do-we all do at the moment." He soothed. Tilting her chin upwards, he saw her lips quiver and he brushed his on her cheek. "I will always protect you Caroline Forbes. There is no greater redemption than you and seeing your tears like this-it pains me."

"You promise?" she asked and he nodded.

"On my life." He promised. "On my life-always and forever."

She managed a watery smile and he just led her to the couch, flopping down on it with her in his arms. Humming a soft little lullaby for her, she fell into a peaceful sleep and he whispered to her in his native tongue.

"Ég mun alltaf elska þig Caroline Forbes"

 **((A/N:** Ég mun alltaf elska þig Caroline ForbesI will always love you Caroline Forbes.))

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Elena was nervous, pacing as she bounced Kayleigh in her arms while she waited for Elijah to come back home. Tears were burning her eyes when Caroline came over and took Kayleigh in her arms.

"Elena sweetie," Caroline whispered softly. "You need to rest all this nervousness and worry isn't good for the baby."

"I haven't seen him like that in a long time," Elena worried. "What if I don't get him back?"

"You'll get him back," Caroline smiled confidently, "remember Mikaelsons are crazy protective of their family. This just means they consider us family."

Elena nodded and as she went upstairs into her room, she lay down and tears fell as she remembered sitting beside Bonnie's body the same way she did for Jeremy. After a while strong arms wrapped tenderly around her and Elijah's voice was whispered softly through her hair.

"Are you alright? Caroline mentioned that you were nervous and worried." She turned in his arms and nestled her head into his chest.

"I was worried for you," she whispered. "I was worried something happened to you and I was nervous as I wasn't sure about what would be done."

"You don't need to be that way anymore." He crooned and she snuggled into him. Feeling his hand where their baby laid, she looked up and saw his smile. "I told you that I will always protect you."

"I believe it." Kissing her softly, he pulled away and held her in his arms as close as he could. He had the two most important members of his family with him at the moment-Elena and their unborn baby.

That was all he needed.

Always and forever.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Rebekah was watching her daughter sleep peacefully with three stuffed animals-a fox, a stag and a wolf-all surrounding her when another made its way into the crib. A stuffed Labrador that was yellow. Following the hand that had placed the dog into the crib, she saw that it was Stefan who was with her. He smiled at her and then at their daughter.

"I believe that my family may have its salvation." He mused with his arm around her waist and she curled herself into him with a smile on her own face.

"Yes, she is not just the Salvatore family salvation but the Mikaelson one as well. I never knew I could be so happy," Rebekah told him warmly before they went back to staring at their daughter who looked close to waking and Rebekah picked her up in her arms and walked towards the rocking chair where she lowered herself onto it. She smiled as she rocked the baby back and forth with a soft little lullaby that she sang.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word, momma's gonna buy you a mockingbird…" Stefan was right in front of them and as he fell down on his knees, he reached out a finger and caressed Kayleigh's cheek. Her little hand wrapped itself around his finger and began to gnaw on it.

He was smiling at the two of them and knew that they were all that mattered.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	26. Chapter 26

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The next day it was still storming outside but everyone had decided that Damon needed to be dealt with. They bundled up the baby and loaded everyone into the cars. It was Bonnie's first time out as a vampire and she was scared to death. Elena and Bonnie had never seen the other Mikaelson home but quickly pronounced it suitably grand and befitting Klaus.

Damon lifted his head from his position in the solarium as he heard familiar voices in the front part of the house. He hoped his rescue party had come. Surely Stefan had come to his senses by now or maybe Elena had pleaded for his release. His hope was short lived as Klaus walked Caroline over to see Damon all tied up and she had a cold smile of satisfaction on her face. She was never able to get revenge on him for what he had done to her while she was human except for that one day after her transition during the carnival.

Now though, as he looked helplessly at her, she walked over to him and broke each finger on his hands. Klaus had known that she would be vindictive but to see her like this-vindictive-was strange until he remembered that Elijah had informed him of Damon's relationship with Caroline and he wasn't going to stop her unless she went off the deep end.

"Do you know how I felt when I was human and nothing more than your toy?" she asked darkly. As he shook his head in the negative, she kicked at his knee which broke. He screamed out in pain and before she could say anything, Klaus broke in.

"As beautiful as this scene is to me," he gave Caroline a look and she nodded while walking back towards him. "I believe that it is my turn now." Going over to him, Klaus grabbed Damon by the throat and the elder Salvatore watched as Klaus' rage grew until his Hybrid face was out.

"I would kill you-torture, maim and then allow you a respite before doing it all over again-but I want you to know that I am moving past all that now and well…" he picked up a dagger that was coated in Hayley's werewolf blood. "I want you to remember what it feels like having something taken from you." His peace said, he slashed into Damon's chest without caring that he and Caroline were going to be covered in blood.

"I thought you said that you weren't going to torture him like that?" Rebekah interrupted as she was walking into the solarium with Stefan hot on her heels. She looked immaculate in a red dress and heels her expression haughty.

"I said that I would make no promises sister," Klaus told her with a wolfish grin and a kiss to her forehead. "I will attend to my niece now." Stefan nodded.

"Kol and Bonnie are hogging her at the moment so if you believe that you can get her away from them, be my guest." Hearing those few last words, Caroline began to sing that Beauty and the Beast song under her breath as she left with Klaus.

Stefan shook his head at her with a warm smile on his lips which vanished as he turned to stare at Damon with utter coldness and bitterness in his eyes.

"Why Damon?" he asked. His eyes held onto his brother's and the other didn't answer. Stefan got right into Damon's face in total intimidation.

"ANSWER ME DAMON! _WHY DID YOU DO IT?"_

 _"I didn't mean to!"_ Damon yelled at him. "I wanted to talk some sense into Elena and Bonnie got in the way! I wanted her to know that she was making a mistake by having a baby with a monster!"

"You're the monster Damon." Rebekah told him as she walked in front of him. "You are the monster-not Elijah! He never hurt Elena! Everything that you had done to her through all those years that you've known each other and however long you two were dating- _you were the one who hurt her!"_ Damon knew that it was true but he didn't believe it.

"No-I never did." He said trying for defiance and coming out cockier.

"You insinuated that she was a whore twice and that she was a new Katherine!" Stefan yelled before he left. If he had to spend at least one more minute with his selfish, stubborn brother, he would have been close to killing him. Rebekah watched him walk away and then turned back to Damon with such utter loathing in her eyes that it was scary.

"If I could have it my way you'd be a pile of ash but as I'm above being a monster like you, the best punishment is for you to live with yourself and the guilt of what you had done."

She turned on her heels and walked away from him.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Damon had seen the movie of A Christmas Carol – reading stuffy old books was his brother's thing. He knew about being visited by three ghosts but apparently this was turning into being visited by every original. He watched as Elijah strode down the hallway. He looked gentlemanly and fierce at the same time. He appeared deceptively calm as he strode into the solarium. When Damon saw the anger in his eyes he knew the original was anything but…

"I have been called a monster many times in my thousand year's existence," Elijah began calmly. "I have even used the term myself. It is at times an apt description." He punctuated the thought by breaking Damon's jaw again with his fist.

"When you inflict it upon Elena in reference to her carrying my child however it becomes reprehensible," he said and he stabbed Damon in the chest with a letter opener.

"Look what you've done to her! Vampires aren't supposed to procreate!" Damon said. "She deserves better than you – hell she deserves better than all of us!"

"That may be the case Damon," Elijah said reining his anger in once more, "but I love her and I will endeavor every day for the rest of my existence to make her happy." A gasp at the entrance to the solarium caught both their attention. Elena was standing there in a mint dress with a jeweled empire waist and a bubble-hem skirt that just showed off her four months of pregnancy. Neither man liked the look on her face.

"Elena," Damon decided to use this to his advantage, "what do you say about the originals now?" The chains rattled as Damon attempted to gesture to his current state. Elijah flashed to Elena's side but she bypassed him and continued to walk to Damon. There was pain in her eyes at what was being done but anger too and understanding. She looked Damon in the eyes as she laid her hand on her growing belly and grabbed Elijah's arm with the other.

"Let me make this simple and clear for you Damon," Elena said trying to hold her emotions in check. She wanted to get her point across without bursting into tears. "I love him Damon. I see his flaws, his struggles and I know what he is but I also know just what kind of man Elijah is Damon and I love him! I am having his baby – I can feel him or her moving inside me right now and nothing makes me happier. You were always spouting that you wanted my happiness Damon – well you got it. It's right here before you! Elijah Mikaelson makes me happy every day. I want to spend the next thousand years with him – more if I get the chance." Then in a move that utterly shocked Elijah, Elena flashed to Damon with the letter opener and stabbed him without holding back.

"That is for Jeremy!" She stabbed him again in another location.

"That is for Caroline!" She looked deep into Damon's blue depths wanting him to see that any romantic feelings she might once have felt for him were gone. Then she stabbed him once again. By now she was crying and she dropped the letter opener onto the floor as she saw his blood on her hand and running down her arm.

"That's for Bonnie!" She cried out through the tears and then she fled the room.

"Are you proud of yourself?" Damon gasped through the pain as his wounds began to heal.

"Elena makes her own choices," Elijah said as he looked after her a moment. "She has always been able to." Elijah walked from the solarium after his pregnant Elena.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

A few minutes later Kol strolled into the solarium and walked towards him, whistling evilly and in a more deranged way than Damon thought could happen. Damon let out a low groan before Kol picked up a baseball bat and swung it at his ribs and legs. Damon couldn't help the howl that he released as the bat connected with his ribs.

"See," Kol started casually, "my siblings and I can be monsters-yes-but unlike you, we know that monsters always, _always_ can find a light within the darkness that depletes the darkness within us." Kol punctuated this with another swing of the bat.

"Great story," Damon coughed as his ribs were slowly healing a second time. Kol paid him no mind as he twirled the bat around in the air with such loathing and hatred.

"What you said and did to my Bonnie as well as Elena was way beyond cruel." He looked at him coldly, menacingly. "My unborn niece or nephew _isn't_ a monster but you are." He nodded as he decided on what to say. "I'm surprised that Nik left you alive after the whole 'Caroline' fiasco back when you first arrived in Mystic Falls and Elijah not bothering to slaughter you with your most recent transgression against his child. I'm impressed."

Damon wanted to say something but the lightest footsteps came walking towards them and Kol watched with a little satisfaction as Damon's face filled with shock as he saw Bonnie in the same white dress that he had first seen her in when she was dancing with Kol at that club.

"Hello Damon." He raised an eyebrow and snorted.

"So judgey changed teams and is now pro-vampire? I'm surprised." He said dryly only for Bonnie to wield the letter opener that Elena had used on him earlier and she was stabbing him everywhere that she could.

"You KILLED me! After I had saved your ass in the fire that John started when Katherine first came back to town!" She looked darkly at him. "I should have just let you die."

"You did that for Elena," Damon scoffed.

"I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do," Bonnie said. She dropped the letter opener and grabbed Kol's baseball bat. With an evil glare in her eyes she swung with all her might and everyone heard Damon's cry of pain as the bat connected. The sound shook Bonnie and she began to tremble with horror at her own strength. She dropped the bat from her shaking hands and then ran out crying. Kol looked after her – his heart breaking for her. When he saw that same pain on Damon's face Kol glared at him.

"How am I supposed to bring her back from this?" Kol asked him and without waiting for an answer he went after Bonnie.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	27. Chapter 27

**((A/N: Thank you to all of our loyal readers for your continued reviews. They make our day!))**

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

It was a beautiful sunny morning and Bonnie inhaled deeply the sweet fragrance of beignets. She crossed the street to Café du Monde and got her beignets and coffee finding a table to enjoy them as in the crowded restaurant.

She bit into the fluffy French doughnut but it tasted like a sponge in her mouth. As she looked up she began to hear heartbeats of the patrons around her – all of the heartbeats. There were so many of them! Rising she sped to the next table and sank her fangs into a blonde man's neck. What was she doing? Oh how his blood tasted so sweet though!

She finished with him and picked another as the guests began to trample one another in attempts to get away. Two patrons tried to stop her. She threw the first one off her like he was a rag doll. The second one she snapped his neck.

"Oh God Bonnie!" Elena gasped as she and Caroline raced towards her.

"Bonnie no!" Caroline cried out. Bonnie wanted to stop – wanted to heed their protests but the blood was just so good. She couldn't get enough of it! She had blood dripping on her clothing now – what a waste! She licked it off her fingers as Caroline and Elena reached her.

"Bonnie, oh Bonnie you never should have come out by yourself!" Caroline worried.

"It's going to be okay – let's get you home," Elena urged. Bonnie snapped Elena's neck and then realizing that Caroline would try the same on her Bonnie beat her to it and she watched her blonde best friend join her brunette one.

She enjoyed the saxophone player next but his blood was a little flat. They had fallen down trying to get away from her and she began sampling anyone she could find to see what blood type she liked best.

"Bonnie!" Kol gasped his face a mask of horror as he took in the carnage she had wrought in his absence. He flashed to her but Bonnie didn't want to see the look of pity in his eyes. She concentrated and soon brought him to his knees with several brain aneurysms.

"Stop Bonnie! You don't want to do this!" Kol growled out through the pain. Bonnie grabbed him with both hands and before she could think about it she threw him and impaled him on a piece of rod iron watching in horror as his skin began to gray. She could hear all of the screaming around her then.

Bonnie bolted upright in bed and it took a moment to realize the screaming was her own. Kol flashed into the room followed by practically everyone else.

"Bonnie what's wrong?" Kol, Elena and Caroline asked. Kol moved to wrap his arms around her but her panic caused her to shove him and flash away. She hadn't ever done so before and so she slammed into the armoire in the corner obliterating it.

"Stay away from me please," Bonnie begged as she looked at her friends.

"Bonnie no one is going to hurt you," Caroline soothed.

"No I will hurt you," Bonnie panicked. She scooted along the wall and found the handle for the French doors. Wanting to avoid any further repairs Elijah used the wall panel to turn the security off for Kol's suite. She opened the door and burst into the courtyard falling over the balcony railing as the others watched in shock. She managed to land on her feet and all three of the brothers were before her a second later.

"You can't hurt us, love, anymore than you could a week ago," Kol tried to comfort her. She needed for him to see how dangerous she was so she concentrated on giving him an aneurysm. She watched his face contort with pain a little but he didn't drop to his knees. Instead he kept advancing on her. She flashed forward intending to knock him back but he easily wrapped his arms around her despite her strong struggle. He held her until the fight went out of her and the tears came.

His embrace became gentle then and he curled her against his chest. She sobbed into his shirt while he rubbed her back.

"You're okay darling," he whispered into her hair as he rubbed her back. Kol jerked as he was suddenly flooded with the images of her nightmare. As he looked around he realized she must be accidentally sharing with everyone as the whole group wore similar expressions. Finally he saw the image of her impaling him.

"Bonnie it's okay," he said gently.

"You keep telling me its okay but it's not!" Bonnie pulled back in his embrace and raised her voice in worry. "I don't know how to be a vampire! I'm a witch! I have a great respect for balance, nature and life. I never wanted to be a creature of death and destruction!" Kol released her as if she had burnt him. Bonnie closed her eyes as she realized how her words must sound.

"I didn't mean it like it sounded," she tried again. Feeling a little defeated and worn she sat down on the side of the fountain. "When I first learned that I was a witch one of the first things I learned once Elena introduced me to vampires was that we were supposed to play for opposite teams. How do you do that when most of the vampires you meet prove that they respect life as much as you do? What if I am the kind of vampire that I was taught to hate?"

"You have to be in a very dark, careless place for that," Kol said. "You're afraid that you'll be like I was when you met me well I'm telling you that you are the light that brought me out of that darkness Bonnie. Your inner light – your desire to give of yourself to help others – is beautiful and bright BonBon and it wasn't extinguished just because my blood now runs through your veins." Kol pulled her back to a standing position.

"Look at the ring on your finger please," Kol said. When she complied he continued, "aside from it being a daylight ring do you know what is special about that ring?"

"It has the Mikaelson crest on it?" Bonnie supplied.

"Yes it's a Mikaelson ring – one of ten rings that my mother made for us – one for each child and one for our mates," Kol brandished his ring and with a look to the others Elijah and Klaus displayed their rings and then Elena stuck hers in.

"You're a member of the Mikaelson family now Bonnie and we protect, honor, love and defend our family – always and forever. That means that I – that we will be right beside you helping you through every problem – real or imagined."


	28. Chapter 28

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Damon thought he was going crazy when the doors opened again and as he looked, he saw Klaus walking down and he seemed way too chipper about something. Going over to where the chains were connected to the wall, he undid the locks and watched as Damon fell down to the ground.

"I'm being generous Damon," he said as he looked at the figure on the ground. "I'm releasing you but be warned," now he looked murderous. "If I catch your scent around Caroline, Bonnie or Elena and you cause them to cry again, then there will be nothing on this Earth that will save you from my wrath. Understand?" Damon spit on him and sneered.

"Perfectly hybrid ass." Klaus ignored him and snapped his neck before dragging him out of his house and leaving him inside of his hotel room.

Before he left, Caroline called him and asked, "Do you wanna help me babysit Kayleigh while Stefan and Rebekah are out?"

"I'd love to love."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Once they were seated, Stefan and Rebekah were looking at the menu. She worried for a moment about Kayleigh but as Stefan grabbed her hand, her fears and worries grew slightly less but they were still there.

"Do you think-" she began but he nodded.

"She's going to be fine Bekah, she's in relatively good hands." He said but his fears about his daughter with a psychotic hybrid and a baby vampire were at the forefront of his mind. Shaking his head, he flipped through and nodded.

"I'll get the-" Rebekah had placed her menu down and smiled just as the waitress came over.

"The best champagne that you have and the fried pickles." She told her while Stefan raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'll have the Sliderettes, crab and Hemmingway Daiquiri." He told her and as she left, he turned back to his girlfriend.

"I know that I should have asked Klaus for permission but…" he pulled out a box. "I had an eloquent speech prepared but seeing you…the words died."

Her eyes were wide as she realized what he was asking. Smiling widely, she pulled him over to her and kissed him. As soon as they parted, she smiled and nodded.

"I will marry you Stefan Salvatore." He grinned and pushed the box over to her. The minute it was in her hand, she opened it to see the most exquisite and elegant ring she had ever seen.

The diamond was in the shape of a rose with rubies surrounding the outside of it and the band was simple-a white gold with the engraving 'forever' in cursive on the inside.

"Did you ask Elijah?" Stefan snorted.

"Threatened to disembowel me with a carving knife and something about ripping out my heart for ever hurting you or even making you cry…I blacked out in fear."

Rebekah looked at him horrified. He ended up soothing her.

"Hey-it's okay! I told him the exact same thing when he asked me and Jeremy if he could have Elena's hand in marriage!"

Cheeks reddening as much as a vampire's could, she smiled widely at him again.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love you more Rebekah Mikaelson Salvatore."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Kol have you been in my private reserves again?" Elijah asked.

"Doing you a favor brother; you had a bottle of bourbon in there with the oddest taste," Kol growled as he entered the living room.

"That's because it was infused with wolfsbane," Elijah said.

"Wolfsbane?"

"Yes, I'm sure you've heard of it before. It was Ayana's favorite ingredient to work with." Kol felt the need to sit down. He had ingested wolfsbane and made love to Bonnie. He was going to be a father and she had no idea. They hadn't even talked about kids. Elijah pressed a drink into his younger brother's hands and took a nearby seat.

"I take it I'm going to be an uncle again?"

"Why would you leave something like that out?"

"In a cabinet marked Elijah's special reserves?" Elijah replied calmly.

"Everyone knows that's where the best liquor is," Kol groused.

"You're scared."

"Terrified – we haven't even talked about it. I mean we hadn't even made love before the other night and now…" Kol ran a hand through his hair mussing it up.

"Kol you can do this for her," Elijah encouraged. "You love her."

"Yes I love her and that's why I'm terrified she's going to leave. First I allow her to become a vampire and now this!"

"You are not opposed to being a father?"

"Not at all," Kol smiled as he thought about it.

"You haven't seen how she looks at Rebekah with envy?"

"You mean she might be okay?"

"Don't approach it like a death sentence or she might think you're unhappy."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

It took a week for Kol to work up the courage. Finally one afternoon they were lying on his bed listening to music which was one of their favorite things to do. She was curled against him with her head on his chest and he was savoring the closeness.

"Bonnie there's something I need to tell you and I'm not sure how you're going to feel about it…"

"What is it Kol?" Bonnie raised her head looking suddenly nervous.

"I'm an original and a Mikaelson and I ingested wolfsbane," Kol said nervously. He could tell by the look on Bonnie's face that she wasn't comprehending what he was really saying. Kol took a deep breath and exhaled largely.

"You're pregnant BonBon," he finally got out. For a long moment she just stared at him and his gut clenched. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

"I love you Kol," she professed as tears began to slip down her cheeks. "You're going to be a great dad." Relief flooded through Kol as he held her tight and he finally let the excitement of becoming a father take root.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


	29. Chapter 29

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Have you thought of any names?" Rebekah asked as she had Kayleigh in her bassinet that was beside her on the couch.

Elena snorted as she smoothed her shirt over her seven months of pregnancy. "What else have I been doing but thinking of names for my baby? It's not as though he lets me do anything else…" She sounded bitter but it wasn't her fault! There was one tiny scare that involved her nearly tripping over her own two feet on the freshly mopped floor when Kol had forgotten to tell them that he'd been mopping.

Kol had caught her but Elijah's panic and worry had become double fold from then on and he would now make sure that she was safe and warm before he would do business for three hours and come back to bed.

"He's worried." Rebekah told her sadly but could see her point - if Stefan had done that to her, she'd have gone stir crazy. Elena exhaled and nodded.

"Kol's just as bad!" Bonnie groused as she joined the girls on the couch. She was three-and-a-half months along but already showing.

"I know-I just have onset cabin fever." She ended up smiling. "As to your question about names-I've only thought up unisex names to be on the safe side."

"Does Elijah know what they are?"

"Yeah, he does but he's worried that we're going to have a daughter who could be my clone and most men would love a doppelgänger."

Now Rebekah groaned. She knew that her brother was often paranoid-though slightly better at hiding it from everyone to see-but if this did turn out to be a girl, he would end up slightly more insane than Nik.

VVVVVVVVVVVV


	30. Chapter 30

VVVVVVVVVVVV

 **Epilogue**

"No! No...come here Sheila...come to daddy..." Kol said as he watched his daughter run, chasing her cousin John who was running in between the chairs in the living room. Sheila stopped and turned around, she looked him over and it felt like his head was splitting open. Once he regained himself, she was already gone and her twin brother Sean snickered and jumped onto his back.

"Piggy back ride daddy!" Kol obliged and straightened up. Walking towards his siblings, he saw a nervous looking Klaus holding little Oriana who was sucking her thumb and Elijah was frantic as he was making plans with Stefan over building a very tall tower to keep their daughter's in and any potential suitors out.

"Kol..." Klaus snarled as he saw his favorite painting on the ground and nearly ripped up. "Your children are little skelfingum!"

Kol sighed and Elijah scooped up John as he tried passing him.

"As if we had any chance of having children with no magic ability!" Kol sighed. About that time Oriana decided her thumb wasn't interesting enough and she bit down on Klaus' hand before giggling with delight.

"Aww...is your daddy making you laugh?" Caroline cooed as she entered the room and scooped up her daughter.

"Sheila..." Bonnie's sweet voice called out as she entered the room drinking a blood bag. Sheila came and immediately raised her arms for Bonnie to scoop her up.

"Daddy," Sheila commanded and Bonnie dropped a kiss on Kol's lips before she handed their daughter to him. This time she snuggled against him before giving Uncle Klaus a headache. Elena appeared at the doorway a moment later very largely pregnant.

"Elijah I don't think these babies are going to wait for your attention any longer," she said and this caused everyone in the room to go into a flurry of activity.

So it was that Elena gave birth to twin daughters with the best attributes of both their parents. The Mikaelson family had grown into a family full of love and laughter. Jeremy had eventually made his home in New Orleans as well to be close to his sister, nieces and nephew. In time even Damon had made his peace with the status quo and though he would from time to time look at Elena's happy life with longing he never tried to cross the Mikaelsons again.

This was how the Mikaelson clan came to be one big, happy, sometimes crazy family.

Always and Forever

~Fin~

 **((A/N : little skelfingum = little terrors))**

 **((A/N: Well that's it everyone. I hope that you all enjoyed the journey with us and the way it turned out. Now stay tuned for our next one "Make Plans: Fate will Laugh" as we help the originals find love and family again. Again thank you for all of the reviews, favorites and follows.))**


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